The Hatching Of The Flock
by AnonymousAutherx
Summary: This is the story of how the flock came to be. Nudge is insane, Angel is broken, Iggy has a phobia of fire, and Fang is a mute. Can Max piece them back together and become the flock? Or will they be expired? And last but not least, WILL THEY ESCAPE? xFAXx
1. First Sight

CHAPTER 1: FIRST SIGHT

My head hurt. My stomach hurt. My chest hurt. Everything hurt.

The bright lights pounded my eyes like a hammer, each strike causing a new flash of pain across my eyelids. My eyes were closed, like they had been for a while, and I could just about make out hazy images behind them: blurred figures of men, scientists, discussing the next procedures they would take. Fractured sentences were coming in now; I couldn't get a hold on them – the strings of words passing from one ear and out of the other, my tired brain making no sense of the muddle.

There was a movement, and I felt the slight jolt as someone picked up my poor battered body with an indescribable touch. It was as if they were being… gentle. The foreign word sounded strange, even spoken in my mind. I was only 4, but still, never once have I been handled with care. The scientists see me as not even an animal, but simply like an inanimate object, incapable of feeling emotions, pain. They didn't care what they did to me, the sadist beings: who took me apart like a kit and felt no remorse.

There was the sound of a cage door being swung open, and I was carefully lain inside. Though I still didn't open my eyes, I could tell without looking that this was a new cage, a new room. The floor felt different, and there was a different smell. Something other than the antiseptic and chemicals, something sweet… was it sad that I knew my cage by touch and smell alone? Well if it was, I didn't care. I had spent my entire pitiful life in that cage, and yet I couldn't even stand up in it.

Continuing on that train of thought, I slowly stretched my legs out in front of me. I couldn't stifle the gasp of pain that came to me almost immediately. Definitely a bone or two broken, I confirmed in my head. But they would heal eventually, as did all of my many injuries I have sustained. Though some scars will never heal…

I took the fact that my feet didn't come into contact with the strong metal bars as soon as I stretched them as a good thing. Deciding that it was time to check my new "cage" out, I braced myself and opened my eyes a slit.

And immediately wished I hadn't.

The force of light that I hadn't seen in for so long nearly sent me keeling over. I brought my hands to my eyes – wincing as they jarred a broken rib – in an attempt to block it all out. After the moment passed, I tried it again. The stinging sensation of new light came once again, though more bearable this time. I repeated the procedure several times and managed to open my eyes halfway – enough to make out shapes and colours. Opening my eyes all the way, I looked straight ahead to see…

The figure of a small boy.

He had the same hospital gown on as me, but his were trousers and a t-shirt as opposed to my hospital-type-gown. It may as well have been nothing with the way it was torn and shredded. Looking closer at his face, which was almost completely obscured with that long, black hair of his, I realised with a start that his eyes were trained on me. They were watching me as if _I _were the evil one, coming to hurt him. Desperate to prove myself to him, I wrapped a hand around a bar, drawing myself closer, to see him better.

Quick as a flash, he withdrew himself, pressing himself as hard as he could into the back of his cage. I could see his form visibly shaking. Those black eyes bore into mine, completely devoid of any emotion.

I slowly withdrew myself too, to show him I didn't mean any harm. It took a while, but slowly his shaking decreased… it didn't stop altogether though. I took this time to examine him. The boy had midnight black hair, and equally dark eyes to match. It looked as though his skin tone was a sort of tan, olive colour though it was hard to tell with all the scars, blood and bruises marring his body. His arms poked out the edges of his t-shirt. He was thin and frail looking; we all were, no one ever gave us food in this place, only enough to keep us alive. It was odd, but it was almost as though they didn't want us to have any energy, as if they knew we were strong enough to escape, if we ever had the chance… but it was impossible. This place was the only place I've ever known – I'd only seen the outside world a few times in my life, but it always scared me. How something was so big and wide, I'd never know. But when I look at the sky, a strange yearning overcomes me, like I shouldn't be here, I should be up _there_. It was stupid, I knew, but anywhere was better than this place. Any place at all.

A small movement caught my eye – the boy had fallen asleep. I was glad, which meant I wouldn't have to look at his eyes anymore; they scared me a lot. It was obvious that he'd experienced a lot of pain, but none of that showed in his eyes. In fact, nothing showed at all. If I didn't already know, I would have said he was a machine – couldn't feel anything. Or maybe he was just at that point beyond caring what happened to him anymore. Shuddering, I turned onto my side and tried to get some sleep of my own.

'It isn't your problem'. I thought to myself firmly. That boy is not of concern to you.

*3 weeks later*

Three weeks had passed (I knew this as I counted the shadows my cage made against the wall), and no major events happened. The boy hasn't spoken a murmur, nor made a sound since I had first laid eyes on him. Neither did I. What was the point of it anyway? There was nothing to say, and I hadn't used my voice longer than I hadn't used my eyes that I wasn't even sure if I _could_ speak anyway. What was it good for? Apart from screaming, but that never seemed to have an effect on the scientists.

I marked this time interval for a reason: something actually happened today, something important. In a lab, somewhere, the very first human-lupine mutant was created. And do you know who the target practise was? Me. And the boy.

We were literally grabbed from our cages and thrown by the scruffs of our necks. I at first struggled ferociously, my wounds had healed, but there were scabs: they reminded me what would happen if I didn't put up a fight. Then I realised I was lying on a dirt field. _Outside. _At first, the Sun was blinding and I felt that I could hardly keep my eyes open; the reaction to squint was too instinctive. Also, it was so _noisy_! I didn't know how people could stand it, the constant birds, the rustle of leaves from a wood far away, and the sound of the wind. Back in the cages, there wasn't a sound – the doors were always sealed shut, as were the cages. The boy and I never talked anyway. But the _smells_! Anywhere to get away from the stench of alcohol and sedatives – this actually smelt right, like what I should smell every day. The fresh earth beneath my feet smells of nature, and clean air. But it was odd, the lab that the scientists kept us in was isolated from everything – the closest wood must have been miles away. Why was it I could smell and hear everything so clearly then? Taking in a deep breath, I wondered when the last time was that I had ever felt so _alive._ The sky and being outside though could not have made up for what happened next.

One second we were all alone, me and the boy (who I noticed was taking in everything I had just described too). And the next, a man was there.

It stared at us. We stared at him.

Then what happened next was like a scene out of a horror movie. His lips pulled back over his teeth, revealing sharp and dangerous looking canines. He grinned at us. Slowly, his features seemed to stretch, his nose and mouth being pulled until it became a snout, his hands turned into paws, and claws grew out of his fingernails. Hair sprouted all over his body, masses of black stuff and he shot up in stature and in size too. It was a wolf man. A man wolf. Something that would erase us from the Earth from where we stood. An _Eraser_.

I shot a panic stricken glance at the boy, but he wasn't even looking at me, but at the Eraser.

It was charging towards us – yes, it has now become an _it_; the thing doesn't deserve to be called anything remotely human.

My reflexes were sluggishly slow; I had never faced anything like this before. Mazes, treadmills, experiments, crazy doctors and scientists, but nothing like _this_.

Its claws came out and slashed a big long gash, all the way from my arm to my elbow. It took a moment for the pain to come, and when it did, I desperately wished it hadn't. For the first time in months, I made a noise.

I _screamed_.

My voice, being hoarse with disuse, broke halfway and I ended up gasping, clutching my arm to me. The blood was starting to seep into the rest of my gown.

This seemed to snap the boy out of the trance he'd been in ever since the Eraser first morphed. He jumped out of the way just as the claws slashed down in the air he'd been in seconds before. Wheeling around, it spotted me and came charging again.

The pain in my arm made me run fast, panic and fear driving me. But the courtyard wasn't big, and it was covered with barbed mesh at least 20 feet high. There was no way I could escape. It chased me round and round the court, until I doubled over gasping. Flinging myself against the wire, not caring if I got scratched, I desperately shook it, looking for some hole, some sort of escape that I could get free from. The scientists were watching, I knew, I could see the cameras. Surely they would intervene? I mean they caused me pain, experimented on me, cut me open, but never went as far as to really kill me. But what if they did? What if they wanted me dead? There was no escape so I might as well face the facts. The Eraser had me trapped in a corner and was advancing on me slowly, as if taking the time to draw it out. But as it was coming closer and closer, I saw a flash of something that gave me a glimmer of hope. The Eraser turned around, but it was too late, the boy pounced on him. Drawing his fist back, I watched as he socked the Eraser right in the stomach, and then again in the chest. In my fight, I had forgotten all about him, but now I saw the very first emotion I'd ever seen on his face, in his eyes. Determination. Whether it was for me, or for him, or for the Eraser, it made him faster and stronger. But not strong enough. I watched in horror as the Eraser tore him right down, cuffing him in the head, and clawing at his sides.

'NO!' I yelled as he went down in a huff of air, lying very still on the ground. He looked dead, and with the amount of blood that was pouring out of him, he would be very soon. It was strange, I hardly knew this boy, yet I felt a very strong sense of protection over him, though I suppose he didn't know me either, but yet he had undoubtedly saved my life.

As the Eraser knelt down to finish him off, I tensed, ready to spring, but there was no need. The boy's fist came out of nowhere, travelling right towards the Eraser's head. The following events seemed to happen in slow motion. As the fist went flying, the canine opened its mouth. I watched horror struck as the boys' fist went

Straight.

Into.

Its.

_Mouth._

I screamed again, but this time, I was joined by another voice.

'NO! STOP! DON'T KILL HIM!' It was one of the lab scientists – he was red in the face after seemingly getting here in a rush, and called a few others over to wrestle the Eraser off the boy. Another group of doctors/ scientists rushed over, no doubt to get to the boy, but I got there first. His face was ashen white, and his blood was beginning to pool in a puddle around him. He looked as though he was very tired, but fought to keep his eyes open. He looked at me, with a million emotions in his eyes – it was like a flood gate bursting open. I was wrong, he wasn't a machine; he had just fought to keep his feelings down a long time ago. There was something in his eyes that I couldn't place, but it made me feel even guiltier, if possible. Before I could open my mouth to say something – _anything_, a pair of scientists came and dragged me away. I reached out and grabbed his hand as I left, and he pushed something sharp and hard into it, wrapping my fingers around the object.

The scientists dragged him away in a stretcher. I had to wait for the scientists to fix up my bloody arm and lock me back in my cage again before I could find out what it was.

There, lying in the palm of my hand was a single, bloody fang.

**Review if you would like me to write anymore chapters – 10 means I will update again :)**

**AnonymousAutherx**


	2. Mute Friends

Chapter Two: Mute Friends

He didn't come back. After the scientists left me in my cage, I eagerly cleaned the fang and moved to the front, by the bars, straining my ears to hear any approaching footsteps – to see if he survived, if he was alright, to give him my thanks. Perhaps just to see him again…

I don't think I'd ever been so eager as to have scientists come into my room, but none came.

I fell asleep in that position that night, just waiting…

*2 years later*

Yawning, I rubbed my eyes as I came to a new day, wondering what fresh horrors awaited me. As per usual, my eyes somehow always wondered to that empty cage in front of me… it just sat there, gathering dust. Occasionally some new mutants would come in, and I'd try to talk to them, but most of them couldn't even hold a thought, let alone speak, and they'd usually expire within a few weeks. It was torture to see them literally waste away in front of my eyes, but was it bad of me to hope that one day, the cage would once again be occupied by that boy who saved my life?

As far as I knew, I was the longest surviving mutant this place had ever created. I was what, six? I didn't know what or when my birthday was, but judging from my length and the development of my body, I would say I was just coming out of the toddler stages… too young.

My hands went around my fang. Sometimes I would spend hours looking at every crevice and crack on its surface, till I memorised it. I would drive myself mad wondering what had happened to the boy – I decided to name him Fang, it seemed fitting. I doubted if he had a name, I certainly didn't. Did he die? Or was he simply moved to another room? There was no way to tell – he had no possessions, so I couldn't tell whether they relocated him or not. I myself don't understand why they let me keep the fang, I would have certainly fought for it, but the scientist just gave it a glance and passed it off as nothing.

The scientists themselves had stopped doing as many experiments on me; they had stopped from being every other day, to once a week, to every fortnight, to… I didn't know. Of course, I was very glad, but now my little strand of sanity was slipping through my fingers without something happening, something to hold on to. You try being locked in a cage 24/7 without going crazy… it's really hard.

Of course, as soon as I had at least thought about the stopping of experimenting, no sooner did a scientist walk right in. He had the typical clip board and pen in his hands, and the ever so frequent white coat on. White coats! That's what I will call them from now on – 'scientist' makes them sound human, and helpful, which is the opposite of what they are. 'White coat' was definitely more fitting…

The cage swung open, and I was lifted out for the first time in weeks. I stretched, revelling in the feeling as my bones clicked.

'Don't start relaxing now'. The white coat talked to me as he would to an animal. 'You won't be smiling soon'.

This guy was new, and I didn't like the look of him. I immediately tensed, now wishing I was back in my cage; pain and torture over losing my head? It sounds extreme, but I'd take the latter any day.

We passed through endless hallways and doors, some white coats stopping to stare. What? Didn't they know what was going on? Usually everyone was connected in this place… it only made me even more suspicious of the white coat. When we finally reached the room, he laid me down – roughly, I might add – onto the table and screwed me on with _metal bars_. Immediately, instinct told me to be on edge – I'd never been bound by metal before, so this must be pretty bad. I started to strain against them, I knew I'd never get free, but there was no harm in trying.

'I would have had you in leather straps, but the other one got free. Those metal bars are made of steel. I wouldn't bother trying to get out'.

The white coat turned round with a gigantic syringe in his hand, filled with luminous green stuff. You could practically see the opening credits along the bottom:

Mr White Coat stars as leading actor to this gory sci-fi movie, the title being

'How to Torture Your Little Girl' **(A/N After 'How to Train Your Dragon' Get it?** **Never mind, ignore me. On with the story!)**

I started to yell, thrashing around the table – that stuff looked like poison, and was bound to hurt.

The white coat grabbed my head, and smashed it down with a surprising amount of force onto the table. I went slack as the world started to spin and blur around the edges. As I was dizzy, he gripped the syringe and jabbed it _straight into my heart_. As he pushed the handle down, I felt nothing, but as he took it out…

The room exploded.

Violent red, blue and green clouded my vision as I screamed.

Whatever was in that tube, it burned like a poison, spreading through my veins. It was like someone had cut them open and poured liquid fire inside. I started to shudder and shake as the burning intensified – by now I'd screamed myself hoarse… little rasps escaped my mouth as I tried to shake myself free, to do anything, anything to stop the burning!

There was a crack as one of the metal bands around my wrist came free. I didn't bother to wonder how I did that, but struggled with the others. Two more cracks sounded as the ones round my ankles broke, and I swept off the table halfway, eyes landing on a knife only two meters away.

I gripped my heart, wanting to tear it right out of my chest – it was where the burning hurt the most, where it was spreading and gripping me. I lunged for it, but my other wrist was still bound to the table. I staggered, half dragging the table with me in my crazy suicide attempt – I wanted to get that knife and plunge it straight into my heart – anything to _make it stop!_

'Stop her!' Panicked the white coat, but I'd already had a shaky grip on the knife – it was a long one, full of deadly intent, shaped like a butchers' knife.

There was a pop as someone shot at me: one of the white coats. I saw the tranquiliser dart sticking out of my hand just before sinking into much welcomed unconsciousness, myself and the knife clattering to the floor.

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When I next came to, the burning sensation was gone and I felt normal… or as normal as I could ever actually feel. There was a cloud of something dark pressing down on me, and I felt like I could drop at any moment – I didn't know how long I was out, but my brain was all foggy. That was with no doubt the worst thing the white coats have ever done to me. Never before have I been driven to kill myself in an attempt to blot out the pain… I wondered what the vial contained; it must have been something very strong and undiluted. When I came to my senses, I found I was in a new room.

The new room had black walls, a startling contrast to the usual whiteness… however this meant that I could hardly see as the lights were dimmed. I hated being unable to see; I'd been on guard ever since the first Eraser attack, which was one of many, and this new blindness made me feel strangely vulnerable. I struggled out of my bounds, wincing at the gashes in my wrists – which came from when I forced those metal bands off of me, and immediately put my hands in front of myself to feel for any maniacal scientists, or worse, hungry Erasers… Walking a few paces forward, a sharp pain in my back made me stumble. What sort of fresh hell was this? I'd experienced a lot of pain in my life, and this was certainly nothing, but it was like something was developing _inside_ my back, struggling to get free.

Another shard of pain shot up my back again, but more powerful than the first – it sent me catering forward… into something all hairy with calloused skin…

I immediately sprang back, and so did _it_. I carefully watched till my eyes adjusted and I could finally see shapes and forms… then I figured it out. _It _lifted its head – that was why it was all hairy, I could only feel hair. Or should I say _Fang's hair_!

'It's you!' I gasped, hardly daring to believe it. After these two long years, after all the scenarios I'd played through my mind, trying to figure out what had happened to him, he was actually standing right in front of me! I waited impatiently, looking to see if he would say something, _do _something to indicate that he remembered, what he had done for me.

But he just stayed like that, silently staring, giving no hint of recognition.

'It's me… remember? 'My voice was unsure, who knew what the white coats had done to him – that was surely why he couldn't remember!

'With the Erasers – I mean the human-lupine experiments-'I'd forgotten that that was only my name for them 'When you saved me? Do you remember now?'

I looked at him keenly, searching for any type of response. There was none. Unwilling to give up hope, I remembered the fang. Instantly, I started scrabbling round my neck – I'd made a sort of necklace out of it, with an odd bit of string lying around. I held it out to him, palm up. Now this would certainly bring up memories, I hoped. He still didn't move. Not a muscle.

I jabbed it at him, but he just stared, clear refusal to touch it in his stance. I began to get extremely agitated, I'd waited two years for this boy, growing mad and hurting myself in the process, I wasn't about to give up now. I lunged forward unexpectedly, grasping his wrist so I could dump the fang into his hand. But he withdrew with a hiss, cringing into the wall behind him. His eyes were wild, reminding me so much of that time back when we first met, in cages. The fang clattered to the floor between us. We both watched as it rocked back and forth till it came to a stop. When he didn't reach for it, neither did I.

I don't know how long we both stood there, just watching each other. There was no one else in the room, of course. Slowly, he seemed to relax, while I got wound up tighter and tighter. Somehow, I just _knew_ he remembered me, but either he couldn't be bothered, or cared to acknowledge me. So after all the pain I'd just recently suffered, all the time I'd spent longing after this boy that I hardly knew, yet somehow felt for like a friend… I just snapped.

Well, I think it was only a matter of time before I went utterly insane anyway.

In a sudden burst of energy, I turned round on the wall and started to bang on it, screaming. I yelled at all I'd ever been through, I screeched at all the torture I'd ever received from the Erasers, from the white coats… and most of all, from Fang.

I turned on him, never moving a step closer, yet shouting and screaming at him. There were no words, just emotions. At all the rage, pain and anger… he looked really shaken, actually. I wondered what I looked like to him, probably like a little girl who had lost her way… which is what I was.

Finally I just slid down the wall, sobbing, just completely spent. I stayed like that until they slowed to hiccups, and finally, I began to drift into sleep. Something warm covered me, causing me to snap up awake. The boy, or Fang as I like to call him, had placed a blanket over me, from one of the cots in the corner. The material was rough and scratchy, a bad quality make, but the sudden display of affection almost sent me into another wave of tears. He _did _remember, and he _did_ care! Fang was still very tense as he slid down next to the wall beside me, but he bumped his knee against mine, and even though I didn't know him very well, I could tell just that small gesture was equivalent to a hug, in Fang terms.

I fell asleep feeling happy, worn out from the stress of the day: this was a giant leap. I don't know what made Fang decide to trust me, or begin to care. I don't think he has for anyone else in his entire life, so I could tell how hard it would be for him. But even now, with a simple gesture, I could tell this would be the start of one of those lifelong friendships…

**Aw, fax! It's not supposed to be romantic in any way, since they're only 6 but yeah… Did anyone get the reference when Fang bumped his knee against Max's? I don't know if I made it clear enough…**

**Thanks for all the reviews, alerts and PMs, I really appreciate them ;) Special thanks to hopeistheway, for promoting the story! Sorry about the time skip, I just felt like I needed to move the story along a little :D**

**Review please?**

**AnonymousAutherx **


	3. New Limbs

**Chapter 3: New Limbs**

The sun shone through the window as I woke up. I realised that it was not because of the lights that it was dark; the room had no lights, but because it was night time, and there was no sun for light. I looked in wonder out of the window, at the murky blue sky. I tried to crane my head to see more, but the window was small, and barred. There was probably not much to see anyway, I realised. Just more labs and buildings. I turned my head back around, only to be startled to see a shock of black hair not too far away. Fang! All the memories of last night came pouring back, the good and the bad. He looked not much different from the last time I'd seen him, only his hair a little longer, and he'd grown, like me. We both could pass for nine or ten years old, instead of six.

Which was why I was so glad they'd given us this room. It wasn't big at all, about two paces wide and five along. But it was good enough to stand and stretch in. Fang was angled away from me, his body tense even while asleep. I was pleased at the progress though, a few hours ago, he'd been backed into the opposite wall, desperate to get away from me.

As I was looking at him, he suddenly woke up. It wasn't a sort of rub-your-eyes-and-yawn sort of waking up; it was a jump up and look crazily around the room sort of waking up. The way he was immediately on alert astonished me, what had happened to make him like this? He carried to scan the room, his eyes darting this way and that so quickly that I wondered how he didn't feel dizzy. Then he turned to see me, all tense and wound up after his response, and he seemed to calm down a little. Taking a seat on one of the cots in the corner, Fang wrapped his arms around his knees, drawing them up to his chest. I felt a twinge of longing that he wasn't sitting next to me again.

Not looking like he was going to fall asleep again anytime soon, I tentatively decided to talk to him again. After his non-response and my little freak out yesterday (at least, I think it was yesterday…) I decided to be a little gentler this time.

'Um… hello?' I tried.

Those dark eyes just stared.

'Sorry for freaking out on you like that last time, it won't happen again, if that's what you're worrying about'. Nothing like an apology to get things moving along.

'I-' I started, then stopped.

Something was going to happen… you know when you get this shivery feeling like something bad was going to happen?

Dead silence. Then…

Someone ran a knife down my back.

'Arghhh!' I screamed. The pain was so sudden, and was over just as quickly. I fell on all fours, panting heavily, my eyes not seeing anything for a few seconds. Through my curtain of messy hair, I saw Fang in the same condition as me, but of course, he didn't scream.

What just happened? A white-coat? An Eraser? Another ram made my gasp and claw at the ground. I felt like I was going to hurl.

Looking hesitantly behind me, I looked at the person who stabbed me. There was only a wall. No knife on the ground. Raising a shaky hand to my back, I gently patted it, searching for a wound or sort of puncture. When I raised my hand to my face, it was soaked in blood.

My breath rattled out and I slumped to the floor, belly down. Closing my eyes as other shocks of pain went through me I began to wonder what was happening to me. There was no weapon or scientist, so what was making me hurt and bleed? Why was it just so sudden? I had only just woken up! I could feel the blood now, thick and wet, clumped on my back. It made my clothes stick to my skin, and I could feel it slowly seeping onto the floor around me.

The blood loss made me feel pitifully weak… was I going to die? I flickered my eyes towards Fang. He was also on the floor, quivering. So the invisible man with the invisible knife had gotten to him too! When he saw me looking, he turned away, hiding his face. His pain.

But there was something that I saw that made me feel sick to my stomach. Under all the dark blood and twisted pieces of fabric, I saw on Fang's back something that shouldn't have been there. Something slimy and boned that poked out of his skin…

Another wave of pain was all that was needed to send me into the blackness…

I was flying. I was in the clouds. And it was _beautiful. _

Reaching my hands into the air all around me, I swooped, soared and twisted in the sky, the beautiful big blue sky. I was _free. _And I had _wings_! Out of my cage, the world remained open for me to roam, to do what I liked; to never experience pain again… what a release!

A strange feeling rose from my stomach. It was bubbly, warm and uplifting. Was it happiness? I turned my face upwards towards the sun.

All too soon though, my serenity was shattered; a cloud broke from above me. A figure leaped down. Instantly I was on guard. Whitecoats? Erasors? Scary mutants? But it was a pale faced boy with strawberry blond hair and bright blue eyes. He grinned at me, and I caught a flash of his speckled wings. Wait… wings? Before I could think any more of it, three more shapes jumped down too. Raising my head to catch a glimpse, a saw a girl with crazy frizzy hair and chocolate coloured skin. She looked so carefree and blithe, it made my heart ache. There was another boy and girl both with blond hair and blue eyes. They looked like siblings. The little girl had such an innocent round face, and was barely two! How did she manage to keep a flight?

I looked with wide eyes for a few moments before _another _person came to float alongside me. But this figure I recognised. It was Fang. He looked a lot older, but with the same shaggy hair and dark eyes. He had big black wings protruding out of his back: they were layered with glossy feathers which shimmered in the sunlight. When he looked at me, his face was so jubilant it made my heart stop beating. Since when had I ever seen him look like that? So from that moment, I made a vow to do anything it took to make him feel so happy again. Because it meant that much.

He opened his mouth.

And spoke.

'Time to leave'.

I awoke to someone shaking me viciously.

Big black eyes blocked out my vision. At first, I was scared, but then I realised who it was. Fang! I sat up abruptly, and looked at him, waiting for him to speak again. His voice had sounded all silky and smooth. I wanted to hear it again. I looked at him expectantly before I realised he looked different. As in younger. Younger than in the dream. It was a dream? I looked around: it was true; we were in the same black room with the small barred window. I noticed someone had come and bandaged my back and wiped away all the blood. Strangely enough, I felt sad. So incredibly sad. I wanted to be back in the sky, blissful and flying with those strange children, whom I really wanted to see again. Just their faces had struck a strange note within me, like when I saw them; something had clicked in my heart. But they couldn't have been real… and I'd never seen them before in my life- I doubt I'd forget four kids with wings.

I realised that I'd been staring at Fang for a while. How long had I been out?

The hurt came and went. At some point, the white-coats came and strapped us both down, we had been thrashing uncontrollably, unable to keep our - my - wails of anguish silent. I felt like someone was slowly lacerating our backs, cutting them open. I think both of us started slipping in and out of consciousness, to stay away from what was ripping our backs open. At the rare times we were both awake, I would talk endlessly about anything and everything. After a while, I stopped waiting for responses, for a voice that would never come.

I just wanted a release. A distraction.

I think somewhere along the lines I stopped calling Fang 'Fang' inside my head and started saying it out loud, referring to him in that way. He never rejected the name (but then again, how could he if he wouldn't - couldn't - speak?) and so I kept on calling him that. Throughout this, I clutched onto the actual fang on my neck like a lifeline, like it was keeping me on the ground, stopping me from rising and floating up… up into the sky… just like in my dream…

On the seventh day, Fang turned to me, a question in his eyes. I think it was the first time he had ever communicated in any way towards me. He needed no words to ask it, it was the thought that blocked out all others, the only one that really mattered. We both knew it.

What was happening to us?

'I think…' I paused to allow another shudder of agony to pass through my body.

'I think we are growing wings'. If I had said that to anyone else, they would have run away screaming, though they may have already done that in the first five seconds after meeting me. But Fang didn't.

He simply closed his eyes, not betraying an ounce of emotion on his face and stayed silent. As always.

I had deduced this theory from what I already knew. By now, I'd long since realised there was no invisible man with a knife, slicing open our backs, that's just what is felt like. So if it wasn't something from the outside, then it must be coming from the inside. Something was happening _inside_ me.

And I'd bet that it had something to do with that day I got injected with some sort of liquid (remember the crazy whitecoat?) and obviously it triggered something inside of me. After all, this place housed mutants. And I'd say that before this progress, I'd say that Fang and I were the most normal looking of the lot, so obviously something was going to happen soon… It was like they did this stuff to learn from us. It's odd, because you would think that _we _should be learning _them. _I decided to name the place 'the school'. It needed a name anyway, that way it would seem more feasible and less scary.

The school, which housed the white-coats, the erasers, and of course, the winged mutants like me.

Of course, I sort of got the wings from my dream. It seemed fitting though, I'd always felt like I should be in the sky, not stationed to the ground.

A few more days came and passed. The cutting sensations were getting fewer and further in between. I knew when it finally stopped when I heard Fang release a long sigh. I think that was the first audible sound I'd ever heard come out of his mouth, even though it sounded more like a pent up breath.

Sure enough, a few hours later, a large group of white coats had gathered and tried to squeeze into our small, black room. They were chatting excitedly amongst themselves, and were all clutching clipboards and scribbling. I realised with a jolt that Mr I'm-really-scary-and-crazy-white coat was also in the bunch, but at the very corner. Fang visibly stiffened next to me, and I followed his line of sight and saw that it also rested on him. He must have been the one to inject Fang with the chemicals as well the other day… I do remember him saying he'd done it before…

A white-coat stepped forward. Her hair was platinum blond and she had a bright pink lipstick on. She held herself with an air of confidence and superiority. I took her to be the leader.

'As you can see'. She began, turning to face the group with her back to us 'These are the first successful avian-human hybrids we have been able to produce. The previous experiments had all expired soon after the effects of the formula we injected them with. We don't know what is different about this pair that made them survive out of all the others, but we can have you examine them later: the new danaus plexippus growth procedure obviously worked, as you can tell. Come with me, and I have some more information about these particular mutants down the hallway…' Her voice drifted away as she lead the group down the hall.

'And someone untie the things!' She shouted. A white-coat hurried to comply her orders and began snipping at the cords around our wrists and feet. A few phrases and words which the leader white coat had said stuck in my mind.

'Avian-human hybrids'. Human was obvious, but didn't 'avian' mean bird?

'danaus plexippus growth procedure'. I had no idea what that meant, but I had a funny feeling that I would find out soon…

And previous experiments? So we weren't the first… what had happened to all the others?

The last chord snapped. The white coats had fastened us to the tables; face down with our hands tied. I hadn't been able to touch my back since, and I couldn't see Fang's as I couldn't raise my head, even though I was facing him. Lifting myself up, I saw the white coat quickly scurry out like we contained the plague. Standing on shaky legs, I inched my hand to my back. There was no longer any pain, but there was definitely _something_ on there, something heavy that was weighing me down. Gulping, I tentatively brought my hand down and –

BANG!

I looked at Fang in shock. He had slammed me to the floor, careful for me to not land on my back, just to knock my hand out of the way. His eyes betrayed shock… yet wonder? He was looking at me – or more specifically, my back. I still hadn't felt what was on there yet, but slowly, I turned him around. We had both under gone the same procedure, so whatever I had, he should have. I was right.

On his back were a set of wings.

They had no feathers or colour, just skin stretched over a set of bones. They were small and limp, but what they were was still the same. He had WINGS. I think I went into hysteria for a moment before I realised what that meant.

This time, Fang didn't stop me from reaching down. I gasped when my hand came into contact with skin and bone when there should have been nothing. They were slick with remenants of blood and something else that I didn't really want to know about.

Fang grasped my wrists and together, we stared at each other speechless. (Well, _I _was speechless, Fang was as normal). After the shock wore off, we still stared at each other. Suddenly, a big smile wormed its way onto my face; I know what you are thinking – a girl grows wings and she feels happy instead of freaked out and disgusted? But you know what? This meant I could _fly. _Maybe my dream could come true… my theory turned out right after all…

Still smiling, I tried to move my wings. Nothing. I tried again. Nothing again. The smile slid off my face. Furrowing my eyebrows in concentration, I tried to reach down into some sort of nerve cells that I never knew I had. This was impossible. How could I move something I'd never moved before? I didn't know how!

'I can't move them!' I shouted at Fang. Was something wrong? I had wings but they were dead? What? I stared at his face desperately, searching for some sort of answer. He remained tight-lipped, but gently reached out to touch one of my wings. Some sort of feeling sparked within me. Every hair on my body had stood up and I shivered. This was one part of my body that had never been touched before – a _new limb_. I don't think anyone else can say that had ever happened to them before. It was odd, yet it felt really good – like what I'd imagine a cat felt when you stroked its fur.

Eager to show him the new sensation, I reached and placed my hand tentatively on the new skin. As if like a reflex, Fang stiffened up and removed his hand from my wing. After worrying for a few seconds about whether I'd hurt him or not, he began to relax. Hesitantly, my hand started to sweep along his wing, almost feeling the patterns and bumps. It was like a spider web, really complicated yet delicate. The skin felt like it could break apart under my fingers at any second and I could feel the bones under my fingertips. There were ridges which I knew would become feathers soon enough.

As my fingertips explored his wings, they began to quiver, and then shake before…

I stepped back in wonder. There was Fang, his small solid frame with messy black hair and dirty clothes… and wings spread out all around him. I don't think I'd ever seen anything more beautiful. My own wings began to quiver and then…

It was like standing up after being crouched for your entire life.

It was like a new born baby opening its eyes for the first time.

It was like realising something you never knew was missing all this time.

I opened my wings.

And it was exhilarating.

Laughing, I grabbed Fang's hand, startling him with the sudden contact. Together, we held each other, running around the tiny room, flapping our wings like we could really fly. Like we could really fly out of this place and into the open sky, where I knew as I'd always known, where we truly belonged.

**A/N Sorry about the wait, but I hardly got any reviews for the last chapter, so I'm not updating until I've gotten at least 8 for this one! Hope you liked it and REVIEW :) **

**AnonymousAutherx**


	4. Take Off

**Chapter 4: Take off**

The white-coat prodded me with the tip of the syringe, shoving me forward. I leaned back again, refusing, _refusing _to go any further. He pushed me harder, sending rocks flying, but I planted my feet into the ground, remaining stationary.

He would _not _make me move another step.

After another ineffective shove, he called over his shoulder;

'This one isn't moving. What should we do?'

There was a shuffling of feet. Just behind me, were a group of Asian white-coats, who looked more official than the rest. This meeting seemed quite important, and they were obviously showing me off – the latest and best 'specimen' of the range. They'd shoved me into a small white t-shirt so my wings were in full view – they had now grown the primary feathers which Fang told me were a rich brown with pure white on the undersides. They weren't long enough for me to see for myself yet, and the secondary, bigger feathers hadn't grown yet, but apparently they were quite a sight.

The white-coats actually seemed to make an effort to make us presentable! After sticking us in a shower, I'd felt properly clean for the first time in ages. I'd forgotten that my hair was a light browny-blonde after all the fights with the Erasers had made it very dirty and matt.

They'd also put a hold on the experiments to help us get fit, and, get this:

_They gave us proper food to eat!_

Normally it was just the one meal a day – maize and seeds or just this lumpy porridge thing with the odd bit of who-knows-what in it. Of course, they also gave us plenty of injections – syringes filled with who knows what, that caused my arm to be covered with thousands of tiny little pinpricks from them. I doubt they'd ever disappear.

The muttering got louder from the group. It seemed the demo wasn't going as well as the white-coats had hoped. I didn't care, I would _not _move, no-one could make me!

A parting in the crowd showed _him. _I think I'll just call him the syringe-guy, as he was that crazy white-coat who pinned me to the table and was the cause of the torture that was growing wings. Needless to say: I hated him. But I was also so very, very afraid. He caused the most painful procedure of my life (and that is saying something) and I wouldn't doubt that he could do it again…

He stopped just a few paces in front of me. Keeping eye contact, he spoke;

'Oh, I think it'll move, _won't you'._

The last part sounded menacing. My blood turned cold. As a cruel smile twisted on his face, I was slapped with images of him holding a syringe.

-slamming my head on the table-

-jabbing it into my heart—

-wings tearing through my flesh—

-explosions of bright colour—

He leaned close and whispered in my ear

'I think you'd better move'.

My feet moved of their own accord and before I knew it, I was stumbling forwards, trying to get as far away as possible. I don't think I'd ever been as afraid of a white-coat in my life as I did in that moment…

The heel of my sneaker slipped, down into nothing; causing rocks to tumble. I didn't hear them hit the bottom. No more room to manoeuver.

'Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down'. I muttered feverishly to myself.

I looked ahead.

Syringe-guy made an action of jabbing a needle in someone. I think I know who that someone would be if I _didn't move_.

It was the lesser of two evils really, I didn't have a choice. Whispering a quick 'I'm sorry' to Fang, I took a deep breath.

And stepped backwards.

Off a cliff.

Falling, falling, falling…

I was plunging down and down and down…

The wind tore away my screams from my lips and I could now see the ground, far below, but it was coming closer…

Okay, I know you guys are probably really lost right now, so I'll start from the beginning:

For a few weeks after me and Fang grew our wings, the scientists yet again left us alone for a while. It was all great, we tested out our new wings, watched them grow, and we – _I _– talked a lot. I talked about what I'd do when I get out of here-that was something I was determined to do, and dreamt of frequently. And with our new wings it actually seemed like a possibility. We had a means of escape! Once we learnt how to fly, that is…

We'd sit back to back for hours, me talking, him listening. I'd fabricate crazy escape plans that would probably never work, but fun to imagine… think about the outside world, what was out there, where we would go, if, _when _we get out.

'Ooooh, I once heard a white-coat talk about going on holiday once! She talked about a place called Spain, where there are palm trees, and beaches, and where it's _always _sunny and warm. Think about that, Fang!'

I'd once said. He never spoke or anything, but I knew he was hanging onto every word. Sometimes his eyes would light up when I spoke about something particularly amusing or fascinating. He was coming out of his shell more and more now, becoming open to me. I think I gave him hope.

I also constantly thought about that dream. Somehow, it seemed very important though I couldn't imagine why. It was at the back of my mind, all the time and I didn't understand why it stuck to me so much. I'd had plenty of dreams about escaping yet that one seemed different somehow…

It was a good time.

Should've known it would never have lasted.

The white-coats took Fang away. I didn't know what they were doing to him, I didn't know where they were taking him, and I didn't know if he was coming back.

It was all rather sudden. We were sitting in our strange small room, me talking as per usual when they sort of just burst in. They hauled him into a cage and locked him in. I put up a big fight, of course, kicking, screaming and biting, but when the Erasers came in I knew I had no chance. I couldn't wait for the day when I would be big enough to fight them by myself.

Just before they whisked him away, I managed to stick my arm through the bars and grasp his hand.

'Please don't leave me again' I whimpered.

He gave me this burning stare, and I knew he was thinking too about that time two whole years ago when they took him away, and he didn't come back. Till now. But I was going to lose him again!

I tried to press my Eraser fang into his hand, to give him a little piece of me, even though he was the one to give it to me in the first place. But he refused it, and something in his expression told me to keep it. Like it was mine now.

I had watched, helpless as they led him away from me again, caged once more. He pressed himself against the bars, and opened his mouth. Of course no sound came out, but I think that if he could talk, he would be screaming.

The only thing that kept me going for the next few days was that final look on Fang's face. It looked like a promise, like a vow that he was going to come back—or die trying.

There was like an empty space beside me. I tried to feel that same hope I did when I was talking to Fang, about our future, but without him here, it felt like there _was _none. You'd think that after losing him once already, the pain would be less. But how long would it take for him to find his way back? _If_ he came back. Last time it took 2 years. What about this time? 4, 5, 6 years?

The worst pain? The emotional type.

So when the white-coats came for me too, I actually went with them willingly. Never have I crawled into a cage of my own accord before. But there was nothing left for me back there, and at least now I stood a chance of seeing Fang again – these were the same white-coats after all…

We went through a maze of stairs and corridors. I turned my face away from the experimental rooms and tried to block out the screams of agony emitting from them. It seemed that every mutant I saw – pinned to the tables, locked in cages, chased by Erasers – became Fang. I'd get a shock whenever I saw a flash of dark hair, or black eyes. But whenever I saw their full features, I'd get let down again. I couldn't see him anywhere, yet he was in every place I looked.

We went far – further than I'd ever been before. I had had no idea that this place was even this large, the vast amounts of doors and corridors seemed to stretch on forever – that was, until someone threw a sheet over my cage.

There was a rocking as my cage was exchanged from one pair of hands to another, then I was thrown, rather roughly, into _something_. I wacked my head against the cage as it was met with the floor, causing a clang. Wait, didn't that mean that I was in something made metal? (Apart from my cage that is). A white-coat turned or pressed something, and suddenly, the floor came alive, shaking and vibrating. A screech of rubber against stone, and I was lurching backwards, my cage tipping over.

I desperately hung onto the bars, as shudders ran through the floor and a strange sharp smell rose to my nose. It smelt unclean, and dirty. Another sharp turn (at least, that's what I assumed had happened), and I fell over again, this time, the sheet sliding off.

I _was_ sitting in something metal. It felt cold. The thing felt like it was moving – some sort of transportation device? I managed to push my skinny wrist out of the bars and feel around. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could see there were no windows, or light. Just this roaring of a monster right beneath me…

Ah ha! My probing fingers had felt a ridge—a gap? In the side of something. I could feel the calming sense of cold air rush through them, so I must've been moving quite fast.

Another gap. Actually, it was the same one. Pushing my other wrist out of the bars, I started to push with all my might. One heave, two heaves, three heaves… wait, did I hear something creak? Pushing my wrists back in, I drew to the very back of my cage, then using all the power in me, I flung myself onto the bars, successfully using the momentum of my entire body and the cage to give the final push.

It worked. The edge was actually the bottom of a set of doors! They must not have closed them tightly enough. The doors sprang open, and I raised an arm to my eyes, trying to block out the sudden brightness. When I lowered them, I nearly let out a scream.

I was right at the brink of toppling over the edge, having been there to push the doors open, and the ground was speeding by below me. What? What was happening? Looking up, I saw a deserted road, trees zipping past and a long path, winding upwards. This was all happening backwards, obviously.

I had never in my life gone this fast before, and I felt a wave of nausea as I tried to shuffle my cage back as far as I could. The white-coats were wasting no time in taking me… where were they taking me? I didn't know, didn't care.

But I couldn't stop the wonder crossing my face as I took in the outside world, all around me. The leaves, the air, the sky – oh, the sky, stretching huge and vast, it was everywhere! Big and blue, I really wished I _could _fly away, up and into it.

I had an overwhelming desire to push myself onto that road and escape, out into the open. But I wasn't stupid. I knew without a second thought that if I did, the impact would kill me instantly at the speed we were going at. Better live a rotten life than die… I think.

Finally, I saw that we had come to an open yard, which really was the edge of some cliff somewhere. There were plenty of white-coats milling around, and I saw a few mutants in cages being unloaded, one on top of the other. My eager eyes once again picked them apart, searching for a familiar silhouette.

A screech of rubber, and I once again lurched forward. A series of doors opened and closed, slamming heavily. Footsteps sounded towards me. Pushing my wrists out hastily, I managed to half drape the sheet over the top of cage at an awkward angle – so it looked like it had stayed there.

'WHO DIDN'T CLOSE THE DOORS?' A furious white-coat thundered.

There was a sort of scuffle, and I heard a cry of pain.

'It's okay! It's still in there!' A somewhat shaky voice spoke up.

'You'd better hope so! The Director would have had BOTH our throats if it wasn't!' The angry white-coat seemed to have calmed down a bit. Who was the Director?

Someone lifted up my cage, sheet and all, and started walking. I managed to steal a peak from under the hem, and caught a glimpse of a huge white metal thing, with many lights and complicated machinery. Was that what had transported me? It looked scary…

It was only when they had set me down that they removed the sheet. I looked around. I was in a long line of mutants, some of them huge and vicious, some of them who looked weak and fragile, as if they could break at any moment. I hoped I didn't look like the latter.

While shuffling around in my cage and observing, I thought I saw a flash of strawberry blonde hair and pale skin. Why that was out of the ordinary in any way, I had no idea, but the glimpse stayed in my mind, as if rooting itself in there. I would ponder more on that later.

These were the most mutants I'd ever seen. There must have been hundreds of them! We were all lined up, and I could see white-coats take cages away. They looked scared. And I didn't see not one of them come back. But the worst part? They were working down the line… and there was only one more mutant in front of me.

Desperately, I turned to the mutant in front.

'What's going to happen to us?' I don't know why I was asking. She – I think it was a she – wouldn't respond, most of them couldn't, or didn't know how to.

'I don't know'. She looked almost as shocked as I was at this new occurrence. Perhaps there were more like me.

'Who are you?' She enquired, looking me over.

I looked at her too. She had this strange scaly skin, which looked tough and unbreakable. She was skinny – all of us were – and her eyes held a strange light to them, almost knowledgeable.

'Who are _you_?' Then she surprised me. She grinned.

'I'm Lucy'.

'You have a _name_?'

'Yeah, I gave it to myself. I saw it on one of the scientists' badges, and thought it sounded nice'. Huh. I wonder what it would be like to have a name. I was pretty nameless at the moment.

'I'm part reptilian. What are you?'

'I'm part bird'. I showed her my new, downy wings.

'Wow!' Her eyes widened in astonishment. 'That's new! I've never seen that before. Do you know if there are any more of your kind?'

Immediately my mind flashed to Fang. The ache in my heart started pick up again. Reading the pain in my eyes, she nodded in sympathy.

'I'm sorry. I used to have another friend once – one like me, I mean. But one day, the human-lupine mutants took him away, and I never saw him again'.

'Erasers'. I corrected her. 'And I'm sorry too'.

Sitting here, talking to Lucy… it was odd. But the pain in my chest, caused by Fang, suddenly seemed not so great. The world didn't seem so dark anymore somehow, as if seeing Lucy had given me a spark of hope. If she had coped, then so would I.

A white-coat started to walk over, slipping his gloves on. My eyes widened.

'NO!' I made a grasp for Lucy, managing to extend my arm as long as it could go out of my cage. I brushed her scaly hand.

'Don't leave me'. I whispered. It was happening all over again, Fang being ripped away… now Lucy, my second friend I had ever made. The white-coat had lifted her cage, making her eyes level with mine.

'Don't worry'. She spoke. 'I'll see you again'. I could only watch as he carried her further and further away, hoping she didn't die, wondering what her fate was, and mine.

All too soon, another white-coat came to pick my cage up.

Which basically lead me to where I am now,

Falling off a cliff.

Perhaps I should just let the fall kill me. What had I thought? 'Better a rotten life than die'. Maybe that wasn't necessarily true…

But I remembered Fang, his kindness and his friendship. And Lucy, her strength. What about those bird-kids from my dream? They might not be real, but they feel so important! No, now I have a reason to live. For those people.

Flinging open my wings, I couldn't help my scream of agony as the sudden air resistance nearly pulled them out of their sockets. Gritting my teeth, I tried to remember how to move them. Come on! I could literally _see _the ground now! I tried to picture the gentle touch of Fang's fingers on my newly grown wings, how they tingled…

Up.

Down.

Up.

Down.

I was flapping.

I was _flying._

Laughing, I tried to flap harder. It was really hard at first, I think my feet brushed over the ground, but slowly, I managed to gain altitude. I was bulky, terribly unbalanced and I imagined very clumsy. I learned to catch the little warm currents of air to propel myself upwards, and how to level my wings, and point my under feathers. Slowly, _painfully_, I righted myself, so I was flying horizontal the ground. Up and up I rose…

I could see the delight on the white-coats faces, the wonder that their'creation' worked. I could see the long lines of mutants in their cages, the masses of Erasers, the trees in the distance. Perhaps I could just fly away, and escape all this horror. I was up in the sky. And it felt _good_.

Of course, the white-coats weren't going to let it last… and very soon, my muscles began to tire. All my previous hopes that I could just fly away, into the horizon failed. I knew I wouldn't be able to fly for very long – the only thing that was still keeping me up were the warm rising convection currents… but those would soon run out. Besides, if I ran away now, where would I go? What would I do? Again, harsh reality slapped me in the face. And Fang. How could I just leave him? Forever, we said, and he _did _say he'd come back.

With a sigh, I drifted back to the white-coats, relishing the final moments of being in the sky. I had a feeling it would be the last time in a long while…

**A/N Okay, I was going to leave it there, but what the hell, I'll keep writing! :) **

I felt like there were at least a thousand eyes on me as I descended. The Asian white-coats had pulled their glasses off and where squinting at me in wonder, as if they were sure it was some kind of illusion.

A girl that can fly? Yeah, definitely an illusion.

I landed rather clumsily on the ground, one leg crumbling under the other, causing sharp needles of pain to shoot from my ankle. Almost immediately, a few white-coats came rushing forward with tranquilizer darts at the ready. But the crazy syringe-guy stopped them.

'I don't think that she's going anywhere'. He spoke again. All the white-coats stilled. What, was he in charge of them or something?

Gripping my long hair, he yanked me upwards. I cried out, grasping my head, but he just began to pull me along. I stumbled on the ground, my ankle sticking out at a weird angle. I must have snapped or broken it while landing…

'Careful with the mutant! Do you know how much she cost? Thousands!'

'I think you'll do well to remember your position'. Syringe-guy snarled at the white-coat, who quickly looked away.

'Besides, I know well enough of the damage caused… but I know you won't fly away, will you?' His eyes bore into me, ruthless and cruel. He looked… he looked like he _hated _me. But why? What had I done?

'And now' This time he was talking directly to me 'there is something you need to see'. I struggled feebly against him, but he just carried on dragging me across the floor.

'I don't understand! Why have you taken me here?' We were at a sort of arena, like one of those old Greek amphitheatres with a big circular stage at the very centre, and stands encasing it, each row higher than the rest. There must have been hundreds of seats, and the only occupants were the crazy syringe-guy and me.

'Because, as I said, there is something you need to see, _darling_'.

I shuddered at the way he said the word 'darling' like it was poison dripping from his lips rather than a term of endearment. It sounded all wrong.

A clang of metal doors reverberated all over the arena. Some sort of shuffling occurred before a few lumpy, hairy figures loped in. I caught my breath. Erasers.

'What-'But I cut myself short as another, considerably smaller body was thrown roughly into the very centre of the stage. As the small figure picked itself up and off of the ground, I felt a sense of dread creep up on my neck. Oh no, oh no, ohnonononono!

The small face squinted up at me, and I could clearly see the scales glinting in the sunlight.

_Lucy_

The name seemed to echo around the stadium for a few seconds, and it was then that I realised I had screamed her name.

'LUCY!' Desperately, I turned to the syringe-guy.

'You can't-' I began brokenly, starting to beg, but he cut me off.

'I think you'll find that I _can _and I _will. _Now face the show. I told you that you needed to see this'. He settled in his chair and looked forward with a nasty smile on his face.

I looked back at Lucy with tears in my eyes, grasping the railing and preparing to throw myself over – to save my friend, who gave me hope…

'Oh no you don't!' Syringe-guy once again grabbed my hair and pinned me to my seat. I started to struggle again, but he had an iron grip on me… and around my heart.

Lucy looked at me, her gaze catching mine. Her eyes were so sad, so sad… I tried to shake my head at her as she turned around to face the Erasers.

It was hopeless from the start. She really tried, she did, but everyone knows that Erasers are the strongest and most vicious mutants the white-coats have ever produced. I had barely, all those years ago, been able to stand up to just one, and now Lucy had to stand up to a whole group? And she was in a worse condition now than I had ever been in.

When they finally cornered her, I turned my face away.

But the syringe-guy, once again, was determined to crush me. He grabbed my face with his hands and forced my eyes open, making me watch every single second.

They tore at her body, her face. Teeth sinking into scales and skin. Scarlet blood dripping on the floor. High pitched screams of agony. They tore away at my mind… my heart.

Hours of sobbing. Of curling up into a small ball. Of trying to wash the images burned into my mind. Of more and more pain. When will these things ever stop?

And when it was over, when I had no more tears, and no more emotions, just this raw feeling inside of me, and a fiery fury that burned from deep within my veins, I raised my head.

'Why?' Was all I asked. Whywhywhywhywhy?

'Because'. He said. He had sat there watching me for all these hours.

'Because you killed my son'.

And then, he reached for the string cord and the fang attached to it around my neck, and tore it away from my body.

**A/N Damn you syringe-guy! Why are you so cruel to Max? I think most of you know who he is, but I would still like to read any suggestions on who the 'syringe-guy' really is! I've purposely not described his appearance in much detail… just for some mystery…**

**This chapter is 4,346 words long! The longest I've ever written! It's mainly because I'm going away on holiday for two weeks so don't expect any updates until I get back :)**

**Review and I'll love you forever! (In the non-romantic way, of course)**

**AnonymousAutherx**


	5. Burned Boy

**EDIT! THIS IS NOT AN UPDATE!**

**This edit is for CallMeSoldier – thanks for all your help! You guys should check out her stories, by the way, they're really good!**

**Read and review please!**

**Chapter 5: Burned Boy**

I was back in my cage.

Alone.

For good this time.

The world seemed so dull and colourless. The only things I noticed were the metal bars in front of me and the constant thudding of my heart.

I had seen things six year olds should never see, felt things people should never have to experience in their lifetime. And so I vowed now to never cry again, to feel any fear or weakness. Because if the syringe-guy had ever taught me anything, it would be that if anyone saw your weaknesses, they would grab hold of them and make sure to use them against you.

And so I learned to deal with what happened to Lucy in my own way. By just blocking all thoughts about her and everything to do with her. So I wouldn't have to feel any grief.

After Lucy- -died, he wouldn't let me see her, or even bury her body properly. It was all she deserved anyway. But no, of course not. It would be the last time I ever saw her… And he said I killed his _son_! Since when did syringe-guy even have a son? And I think that I would know if I killed anyone –I've only ever other mutants and Erasers, and that was usually because they wanted to kill me first anyway. Never a human or a white-coat no matter what they did to me. So surely he must have been mistaken… but the way he _looked _at me. With so much hate. He looked like he really wanted to kill me. That strong an emotion can't be pretended, surely…

A clang. My cage was once again lifted into that strange metal box that moved. I couldn't find it in me to care what they did anymore. What else could they do? They took my one friend away from me – even though I knew her for a matter of minutes, and I was forced to watch her been brutally killed in front of my own eyes. And Fang! He was gone too. I had lost faith in ever seeing him again, stopped looking, and refused to even _think _about him for a second. And what was more, that syringe-guy took away _my _fang, the Eraser fang around my neck.

It was the one possession I had and now it was… gone. It was like my soul, my heart – my one hope. The thing that kept me anchored. Without it I was lost. Broken. Shattered. And I think he knew that.

The big metal doors had a window this time, which gave a view to the outside world and the sky.

I didn't look up.

I was once again back at the place of doom and experiments. But I wasn't taken back into Fang and mine's black room again; I was at a… gym?

Yes, there were smooth wooden floors with lines of different colours painted on to form different courts. Why was I taken here?

There were a couple of loud 'clang's and I looked around to see more cages filled with mutants settled down with me. They were the same ones from the Cliffside – when we were all placed in rows. There were considerably less than a few hours ago – it had gone down from a few hundred to only about two dozen. I didn't know if that was a good thing or not anymore… maybe I should have been mauled by the Erasers too, back when I had the chance.

"_Not _a good time to be thinking suicidal thoughts." I muttered to myself.

"You're right. It's _really_ not".

I raised my head to see who had spoken and froze.

It was _him_. The strawberry blonde haired boy from my dream! Except it couldn't have been a dream… if he was actually here!

His back was turned towards me, and I could only see the mop of hair on his head. Yet, I knew with a strange certainty that it was _him_. No doubt about it.

"Why are you staring at me funny, bird girl?"

"How did you -" But then he slowly turned his face towards me, and I had to stifle a gasp.

The face I had seen in my dream was marred horribly. The entire left side of his face was burnt horribly, all blackened and bright red in some places. It looked like someone had painted on a piece of granite; the texture looked rough and grainy to touch.

But the worst part was the eyes; the eyes that should have been bright blue were a terrible milky white. They were unseeing.

Blinded by whatever fire had burnt him so horribly.

"You're _blind_!" I spoke rather loudly.

"Yes, I think I've figured that part out". His voice teasing, but it had a hard edge to it.

"No, sorry, I didn't mean it like that! I just meant –shouldn't your eyes be blue?"

"How did you know that?" His head snapped towards my direction, and he glared at me. Together with the strange unnatural white of his irises, it caused a rather frightening effect.

"But-you-wha-huh?" I spluttered, trying to piece together my rapidly flying thoughts.

"Just spit it out" His eyes bore into mine unnervingly, the white staring directly into my eyes.

Unable to help myself, I shuddered delicately.

"I know, I know, I freak people out. You're just gonna have to get used to it"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean- wait! Aren't you supposed to be blind? How did you know that? And how did you know I was looking at you?"

"I can sense things." Was the only response he gave. Well that cleared things up.

"Is that all you're going to say?"

"Are you going to answer my question?" He was referring back about his eyes.

I paused for a moment, trying to figure out a way to explain that I had dreamed about him before I had actually ever _seen _him before. No point trying to scare him away.

"I just… I just… I just know you!" Well done, well done indeed. That didn't sound crazy at all, did it?

"I'm sorry to say, but I don't know _you_, bird girl."

I opened my mouth to try and explain again, but we were bothinterrupted. Unfortunately, it was by hairy Eraser hands unlatching our cages and pulling us out.

"Nothing like a fight to the death to get to know a person." Burned boy said (I think I'll just refer to him as that now – I doubted he had a name, and I was tired of calling him 'him' and 'he'… even in my own mind… okay, back to the present)

We were standing in an arena – I shivered, doubting I would ever be able to face an arena the same way after what had happened with Lucy...

Instead of Erasers, as I expected, we were faced with something _much _more terrifying.

-And no, _not _the syringe-guy, as I know most of you are probably thinking (though he is pretty terrifying too) –

It was a giant snake. And when I say giant, I mean_ giant_. The thing was colossal! It was probably about 4 Burned boys' high – and Burned boy was really tall – and about 3 wide.

So basically, it was me and Burned boy back to back, fighting it out with the boa constrictor, and hundreds of white-coats cheering us on. You get the picture.

The thing opened its mouth and gave us a nice view of its razor sharp teeth, flicking its tail. Then it lunged.

Okay, so remember the ankle I snapped while landing on that cliff? It still hasn't healed yet. Which meant I was already at a disadvantage. Which meant I was more likely to be killed.

"Come _on_!" Burned boy tugged at my arm as we leapt and ducked as we ran – well he ran, I hopped – dodging the snakes' lunges.

"Can't you go any faster?" He roared at me. If we weren't in a life-or-death situation, I think I may have slapped him.

"If you hadn't realised, MY ANKLE IS BROKEN!" Desperation made me scream.

"Well _I'm _sorry, if _you _hadn't realised, I WAS TOO BUSY RUNNING FOR MY LIFE!"

Okay, when this was over, I was _definitely _slapping him.

"DUCK!" He yelled. A stream of venom flew over our heads. How he knew it was coming, don't ask me.

We hugged the walls, feeling for any gaps or means of escape. The solid brick remained firm.

"Ah ha!" Okay, maybe not so.

"Look!" Burned boy showed me a section of the wall that seemed older and crumbling. He started to try and pry bits of rock out, to use as weapons.

"You stay here, and carry on doing that, and I'll distract it." Not waiting for an answer, I limped out into the very centre of the arena.

The snake looked at me ferally, the black eyes and brightly coloured skin glinting. I gulped as I took it in. The scales seemed as tough as rocks, the orange and black criss-crosses practically screaming danger. A forked tongue flicked out of its mouth, tasting the air, to find its opponent. Me. It had teeth sharp as knives and fangs glistening with deadly venom. Those teeth put Eraser fangs to shame.

Of course, as I was examining the head of the snake, I really should have been watching the tail.

It came rushing out of nowhere, heavy, strong and as thick as the trunk of a tree, batting me off as if I were a small fly.

For a mere fraction of a second, I was spinning. Colours and sounds were twirling all around me, and I felt as if I were dancing.

THUNK!

Huh? What was that? Oh: I think that was my head connecting with the wall on the opposite side of the arena. Wait, opposite side? _How did I get there? _

CRACK!

I looked down. Ah it would seem I had landed on my already broken ankle.

Well that really, really suuuccc… what was I thinking again?

Oh right, I was in painnn… sooo muchhhh paiiiiinnnnnn…..

The floor felt especially comfy at the moment. I think I might just have a little lie down… I'm sure Burned boy could manage…

A sharp stinging sensation came to my face.

SLAP!

There it was again.

"You've gotta wake up! The snakes about to kill us so WAKE UP!"

Had I really only passed out for a few seconds? It felt like years…

"Leaf meh alone Burr boy… I wah teh sleepp…"

I felt something shift and I was hoisted onto someone's shoulder, and began bouncing around.

"Yeah, yeah, sleep later! Right now we have to stay awake, and preferably alive!"

My ankle felt fiery hot, and my head pounded like someone had actually taken a drill to my brain. And then I remembered the snake. I mumbled a little before opening my eyes. The first sight I came to were a bunch of rocks and dirt… and they were spinning fast. What? Oh, I must've been hanging upside down while Burned boy was running… he was running?

"Put me down now!"

"Glad to see you've returned to the world of living!" He promptly swung me off and let me fall to the ground in a tumble.

"Ahhh! I was just thrown against a wall! I might have a concussion! My ankle has been broken TWICE! CAREFUL!"

He just brushed me off, and pressed a huge, lumpy rock in my hands. Clutching a few rocks himself, he began hurling them at the snake, one by one.

They literally bounced off the scales, leaving no damage at all. It seemed that our weapons were hardly weapons at all and only served to irritate the boa constrictor even further. But before I lost all hope, quite by coincidence, the very last rock managed to find the snakes' black eye.

With a hiss, it drew back and started to spit venom out, coiling in on itself.

"You injured it! Do it again! Do it again!" Forgetting about my broken bones, I leapt up and grasped Burned boy's shoulder.

"I can't".

"What? Of course you can!"

"No, I really can't. That time was purely by coincidence, to do it again, we need to get higher up – get a better shot. But we can't. It's impossible". He looked completely defeated. "Besides, I've used up all my rocks. The only one left we have is yours, and I just can't risk it".

Burned boy looked up.

"If only there was a way to get _above _the snake…"

Wait a second… oh! Oh wow, I really was stupid! Or maybe it was the fact that I'd just hit my head hard on a wall… either way…

"I can't believe I hadn't thought of this sooner! I'm an idiot!"

"What? Who's an idiot?"

"Our _wings_! We can use our _wings_!"

I began to unfurl mine, and prepared myself for take-off. I had done it once, so I could do it again, I was sure. What was the difference between taking off from the ground and taking off mid-flight? I'd work it out later.

"Umm… there's a problem with your plan I'm afraid". Burned boy turned me around to face him.

"And that would be?" I was bouncing with anticipation; unless we got up to the sky _soon, _the snake would recover and be after us again.

"I don't have wings".

"WHAT?"

Spinning him around, I lifted up his shirt. Nothing. Nothing but smooth skin on his bare back.

"But… but…" I stumbled back. In my dream, he had wings. In my dream he was in the sky, flying with me.

'In your dream, he wasn't blind or burnt' the more rational side of my mind spoke up. I hated when it was right.

"Not to interrupt your inner monologue" Burned boy spoke "But seeing as I'm obviously not going anywhere, I suggest you get a move – or flap on".

Leaving no space for argument, he lifted me up and _literally _threw me into the air.

There was no time for a response, or to react. Just to close my eyes, and do what I was created to do.

Fly.

The second time, it came almost naturally to me. The sweeping of my wings, the strong movement of my developing muscles as I rose higher and higher. It was a good thing that the roof of the arena was open to the sky; otherwise I would've hit it long ago. Again, I was struck with the desire to keep on flying and flying, until I dropped. I doubted that feeling would ever go away.

But then I saw Burned boy waving his hands up at me, a signal that easily read;

'Here's your chance. Knock it out!'

So pulling my wings flat against my body, I angled my body towards the Boa, feeling rather like a bullet as I streamed downwards.

Burned boy had trapped the snake against the wall, which was good as now it had no way of retreating.

"Here goes nothing". I whispered before retracting my arm, and then hurling the rock with all my might at the snake's eye.

Unable to bear it if my rock hadn't found its target, I looked away, before trying to pull myself up before I hit the ground.

Too late. I had miscalculated.

The sting of sudden rocks and dirt against my skin was surprisingly painful as I tumbled over and over on the ground. I grimaced when my ankle banged against the ground, and when my head received yet another powerful knock. All these blows were going to leave me paralysed and brain damaged for sure…

Warm hands. They shook me and turned me over.

Without even meaning or having any control over it, I squinted upwards, and expected to see black eyes deep as the night sky and a dear sharp and angular face.

But I felt a wave of disappointment, when I saw white misty eyes and blackened skin. Stupid! Why would Fang be here?

"Did we do it?" I croaked.

"Yes, _you _did it" Burned boy spoke softly, his face full of concern.

Concern? Why was he concerned? Oh right, because I just hit the ground face-first at about 20 miles per hour…

"She's up!" Someone cried: their voices too loud for my sensitive ears.

"Let's move her". Another person said… another white-coat?

A bit of jostling, and I was placed in something cold. A CLANG as another something was swung shut, and the clicking of locks.

I sighed. I was back in my cage.

"Are you gonna wake uuup?" Someone sung irritably in my ear. I flapped my hand around, and when it came into contact with something, I heard a satisfying SMACK, and a dignified "OW!"

Sleepily, I opened my eyes. I felt achy all over, my head thudded, though my ankle felt a little better. Looking down, I saw a blurry cast on it. Opening my eyes all the way, I first saw Burned boy rubbing a red cheek. Ha, I was meaning to do that!

The next thing I noticed was that I _wasn't _in a cage anymore and actually in Fang and I's old room, where we first grew our wings. Swallowing back the wave of nostalgia and pain, I forced those memories back to the very deepest corner of my mind.

"I take it you're feeling back to normal then". Burned boy spoke glaring at me a little.

"Since when have I _not _felt normal?" I grinned a little, but stopped quickly when it started to hurt.

"When I first saw you in that cage, back at the gym". This time, when he replied, he sounded serious.

I sighed. How long ago had it been since Lucy died? Since Fang had gone away? I had lost track of time now, everything was all blurred together. Surely it couldn't have been more than about 24 hours? But talking to Burned boy, even fighting with him – to the death – it had felt… good. I felt better now, definitely not physically, but emotionally. I felt stronger. I was healing and moving on. Though I knew that scars never faded, it doesn't mean that you don't have to live thinking about them all your life. I had to be optimistic and look to the future. And dare I say it, Burned boy had done this. And I would always be grateful. He was… he was… my friend? Yes, I cared for him that way. And I think he did the same to me. My third friend in 6 years! I was on a roll!

"So… are you okay then?"

"Yes… yes. Thank you". I thanked him sincerely, and I really did. I wonder what a mess I would've been – had been – if Burned boy hadn't found me.

"Well good!" And his face twisted into a smile. It did look rather gory though, with his face all burned, and not to mention all the cuts and bruises accumulated from our show-down with the snake. I think he may have lost a few teeth too…

Unable to contain myself, I began to laugh, and when I started, I found I couldn't stop. Burned boy soon joined in, and we both laughed till we couldn't anymore.

When we had calmed ourselves down, he asked cautiously

"Can I ask what had happened to make you like that?"

Immediately I sobered up, all my giggles disappearing.

"Let's just say, I saw some… some things that someone should never force _anyone _to see…"

Burned boy nodded in sympathy.

"I've also lost one of my only friends – he's like me you see – " I fluttered my wings, "I don't even know if he's alive or not…"

We sat there in silence. It was a relief to let it all out; actually, I hadn't known how good it would be to just say it all. Before the silence got too uncomfortable, I swung around to face Burned boy.

"Now, your turn! Can I ask what had happened to make you like that?" I mimicked his words, in a joking tone, but I knew he knew I was serious.

Burned boy was silent for a long time. As soon as I started to worry about whether I'd crossed a line, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Let's just say, that it was a game of explosives gone wrong".

He looked at me, his strange white eyes so very sad, which suddenly didn't seem so scary anymore…

"Aaanyway…" Burned boy jumped up, trying to dispel the sombre atmosphere we had created.

"I think I need a name. Do you have one?" He spoke randomly.

I shook my head.

"Well I need one. Maybe something relating to fire?"

"Fire? Why would you want that? Especially if it…"

I let my voice trail away. I didn't know what horrors had exactly happened to him still, but I could well enough guess from what he had told me.

"That's just it! If fire did _this_" He gestured to the burnt half of his face, and to his eyes,

"Imagine what it would be like if I had a name that was associated with that? It would scare away all the bad guys!"

I shook my head slowly. I couldn't begin to imagine what went through his mind, and yet I couldn't deny the bravery in it either.

"Um… I know fire means 'ignem' in Latin?"

"Ignem… Igney… Iggy… Iggy!" He grinned. "Alright, from now on, my name is Iggy! No more of that 'burned boy' stuff! Yes! I like it!" He seemed rather proud of his new name.

Meanwhile, I coughed, trying to hide my embarrassment. When did I say that out loud? Whoops…

**A/N 'Ignem' does actually mean 'fire' in Latin! Google it, seriously :) **

"Now, why don't _you _have a name? We've gotta ge-" Burne-_Iggy _was interrupted by the loud opening of the door. Glancing at each other quickly, Iggy helped me up awkwardly onto one foot. We were the only ones in this room, so… who would the new arrival be? Or worse, who would the white-coats be taking? I don't think I could bear to part with another friend…

But all these thoughts flew right out of the window as a body was tipped out of its cage and emptied ungracefully onto the floor. My breath caught. It couldn't be. It _can't _be. It _was_.

The door swung shut and was locked as the figure staggered upright.

Shaggy, black hair. Obsidian eyes. Olive toned skin. _Dark wings_.

"_FANG_!" Unable to contain myself, I left Iggy and ran over despite my bulky cast. I threw my arms around him tightly before he'd even had a chance to raise his head. He even smelled the same.

Wiry arms came to wrap around me, and I felt so so happy.

No, more than that. I was alive again.

My heart was back.

**A/N There you go people! Iggy has finally made a break through, though it will be a while before the other flock members make an entrance… and Max is finally reunited with Fang! Don't worry it'll be one of the last times they spilt up again… I think…**

**Review! I love to hear feedback and will answer any questions (I know I've left a lot out)**

**XD**

**AnonymousAutherx**


	6. Unveiled Names

**A/N Sorry for not updating in weeks :/ but I have a three day weekend, so I updated today! I've already written up the next chapter, so if you review, I'll put it up tomorrow! :)**

Chapter 6: Unveiled Names

"You've changed". I was sitting with my back to the wall, my knees drawn up to my chest, and Fang was in the same position, except on the opposite wall. The two walls were so close that our legs were almost touching. I don't think this small room was designed to fit three mutants and two of them with a long wingspan.

He tilted his head towards me and jutted his chin out ever so slightly. I took that to mean,

"You too".

His face was unchanged, the skin still stretched tight over his bones (a sign of malnourishment that all of us had) and so was the rest of him, physically. However his wings had grown at least five inches longer and wider than they had been and his feathers had developed a rather glossy shine. But his eyes, which had once been sparkling with trust, had now a desperate glint in them. I had been on the process of cracking him, getting him to open up to me, and now it seemed that he was desperate to communicate something to me, and was doing all of this himself.

I wonder what the white coats had done to him, but it couldn't have been anything good, there was something bad in those eyes, which worried me. But I cast it all out of my mind, simply glad that he was back, back with me.

But there was still something wrong. At times, he would open his mouth, as if to say something, and I would wait with baited breath to see if he would speak. But nothing, of course, would come out. After that, he would get very annoyed with himself, his eyebrows drawing up to one hard line and he kept closing and opening his fists very abruptly. Fang would also stretch out his arm suddenly, as if to make a grab for something, and then pull it back in just as fast. It was all rather confusing. Obviously he was trying to communicate something to me, but I just couldn't understand what it was. After he could clearly see he wasn't getting the message across, he still would not stop persisting.

We spent the next few hours just catching up, or at least, I did. I filled him in on everything that had happened to me when I had left, only keeping the part about Lucy out. I felt that was one thing I needed to keep to myself. I just couldn't bring myself to say the words. One subject I spent at least an hour talking about was flying. I had done it twice now. Fang, listened in rapt and eager attention – which shows you how great it was to have experienced it seeing as he's usually emotionless - when I described the wonderful sensation. I made sure to tell him all about the currents, how to use his secondary feathers to direct which way to go, and how to stay in the air.

"I wish you could've been there". I said wistfully, looking out our small window. "It was the best feeling in the world… who else could say they've properly flown before, with wings?"

When I came to the part with 'syringe-guy' and described him in detail, and how horrible he was, Fang made an odd jerking movement and stared at me in horror.

"What?" Of course, he didn't answer. After several minutes of this staring, I asked him again. "…Fang?" Fang was still stuck in that strange position, his eyes seemed to be screaming. I hesitantly laid a hand on his shoulder and he seemed to snap out of it. Dismissing it again, I carried on describing other events. "It was so weird, like a metal box on wheels, and it was _moving_! Rumbling, even, like it was alive!"

"That 'metal box' is called a _car_, stupid". Iggy said bitterly. He was sitting in a corner, the furthest away from Fang and I. He was focusing his blind eyes on nothing with an angry expression on his face. I knew he was feeling left out seeing as I hadn't said so much as a word to him since Fang arrived. But hey, if _your _first friend was taken away by crazy white-coats to do who knows what on him, and you'd only just gotten him back, you'd be paying him a load of attention, wouldn't you?

Fang bristled at the word stupid (making me remember that he wasn't deaf as well as mute, I forget that sometimes seeing as he's so stoic and unresponsive), and half got up, as if to make a move. Iggy rose too, and the pair of them glared at each other – well, Iggy just looked menacingly in Fang's general position and ended up staring at his forehead, but close enough.

"Hey! You two, calm down!" When neither of them moved, I reached up and pulled Fang back down in front of me.

"Look, Iggy, I'm sorry that –"

"I don't want to hear it" He cut me off, and sat with a plop on the ground, determinedly wheeling himself to face the wall instead. I looked at Fang with a stricken expression on my face, and he just shrugged a shoulder. Why did I get the impression that he and Iggy didn't like each other very much? There was an awkward silence which only lasted a few seconds, unfortunately.

Why unfortunately? Because the white coats burst in again.

I immediately started worrying whether they would split us up again, and then calmed down when I saw just the one big dog crate. I guessed that was our transportation.

They shoved us, albeit roughly, into the cage. It was so small and cramped, that Fang's wings were shoved into my face (I had a mouthful of feathers) and I think my legs were… where were they? Oh, I think they were draped over Iggy's lap. Fang and Iggy in particular had to bend over so much to fit their tall frames in the short length of the cage that their faces were almost touching their knees. Iggy was half in Fang's lap, a feat that both of them didn't seem too happy about. We once again found ourselves getting carried around endless hallways and corridors.

"The school… every mutant's doom…" Iggy said melodramatically. Or maybe not so melodramatically, this _is _my life we're talking about.

"What's 'The School'"? I asked, or mumbled, through Fang's wing.

"Oh, so you're talking to me now, are you?"

I twisted my neck around to give him a death glare.

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "It's what all the mutants call this place – 'The School' – it's common knowledge". He added nastily.

"Besides, a school is usually referred to as a place of doom, right? Or so I've heard, outside this place…" He looked a little wistful, his scarred features twisting into a look of longing that I'd never seen before on his face.

A jarring halt put a stop to our conversation. I bashed heads with Fang, hard, and cried out, bringing a hand to my temple, effectively whipping Iggy on the face while doing that. See what I mean about it being cramped?

"Director" Came a breathless voice from outside the cage, probably a white coat. There was a hint of terror to it that only a person with a trained ear could hear.

All three of us twisted round to put our faces to the bars – to see what was going on. There was a stocky little blond woman, who wore a lot of bright pink lipstick, standing with her hands on her hips. Judging by the white coats' eager to please expressions, I would guess _she _was the Director. Funny, I always imagined that it would've been a man. She looked familiar, and then I realised why. She was that nasty lady who called Fang and I 'experiments' (which we are, but that's beside the point) when trying to… I don't know, sell or promote us to the group of Asian white coats. Fang's expression told me he remembered as well. If she was the one who ran this place, we were all doomed… more than we are now.

With a start, I realised she was dragging someone in handcuffs behind her. As I pressed my face even further forward to get a better look, I immediately wished I hadn't.

It was the syringe-guy.

"You!" I gasped. His eyes zeroed in on me. His face was covered in bruises, his eyes black and bloodshot, mottled green in some areas. I felt a grim satisfaction – good, he _should _be punished, after what he did to me, to Lucy.

"You!" He echoed and made a lunge as if to try and snap my neck. Fang suddenly seized my hand hard, which would have been unusual if I hadn't have been freaking out – he never makes any contact with anyone, even me, unless in dire or desperate circumstances.

"NO!" The Director yanked him back by a rope that was attached to the handcuffs, and sharply whacked him round the face, creating a new, bloody cut. To see him being put down by a woman, even if it was the Director, made me feel good.

"You will _not _damage experiment M0076123RCS again, I forbid it!" Wait… that was my lab name!

"After those dangerous experiments, the cliff incident, the Boa Constictor snake, where you _deliberately _programmed it to kill, not maim! That experiment is one of our most successful and _expensive _experiments ever! You do realise it cost us millions!"

Syringe-guy said nothing. What? He sabotaged the snake? No wonder it was much harder to defeat than the other mutants I've had to face.

"Jeb… is this true?" Whispered a white coat standing next to our cage. Jeb? Who was Jeb?

"Syringe-guy" Iggy whispered, answering my question unconsciously. Of course – that wasn't his real name, it was just one I made up! But he said I killed his son… I could think of no white coats ever having children, no less one that goes by the name of Jeb, and actually _bringing _their child here. Who would do that?

"That's the last straw, Batchelder! YOU'RE FIRED!" The Director shrieked.

Syringe- _Jeb_, raised his head defiantly. "Gladly". He spat at her feet.

"Right. That's it". She was visibly shaking. "Someone get – him – OUT!"

A clumsy white coat immediately ran forward and started to drag him down a doorway.

"Don't worry! I'll kill you! I'll kill you ALL!" Were Jeb's last screams as he was taken out of sight. It didn't take a genius to guess who those first words were directed at.

"So". The Director smoothed back her hair and seemed to resume calm. Her ice cold blue eyes locked on the white coat who had first spoken her name.

"I presume you stopped for a reason?"

"Y-yes" He stuttered. "Wh-where are we supposed to, I-I mean, d-do, do we –"  
>"You're supposed to take them to the gym. It's in Sector C, you should know where that is". She cut across him smoothly.<p>

"If you'll excuse me, I have work to do". She strode forward again, leaving the white coat still stuttering in her wake.

I turned around to face Fang and Iggy, my face an ashen white.

Syringe-guy – Jeb, whatever he was called, he was gone? Forever? No more torturing, hurting me, the man I feared and hated so much was… gone? But those last words were haunting me, echoing round and round in my mind. _I'll kill you! I'll kill you ALL! _As cheesy as those words sounded, I knew that he meant what he had said. There was no doubt… he would kill me if he could… as he'd already tried.

But he's _gone _I tried to reassure myself. He's gone, the Director fired him, and he can never come back! As much as I hated that woman, I owed her one for firing him.

"…Fang?" Iggy said uncertainly. I snapped my head round again to look at him.

Fang looked like he was having some sort of a fit. His body was jerking around, his eyes moving frantically, and he was shaking his head so vigorously that I was afraid it would suddenly come off. He started to shake my hand really, really hard, and the grip was starting to cut off the blood circulation.

"Fang? FANG! Stop it! You're hurting me!" I screamed. His mouth started to form meaningless words, I couldn't lip read, and I couldn't tell what he was trying to tell me.

The shaking had gotten so much that it wasn't just my hand he was shaking anymore, it was my whole body. My head whacked against the top of the cage as it was so low, and my back was thrown into the bars. I started to see stars.

"FANG! Stop it! YOU'RE HURTING HER!" Iggy yelled.

Tears started to form at the corners of my eyes; I couldn't take much more of this, all the drama, Jeb, and now Fang starting to go crazy…

"HEY! What's going on in there?" A white coat said over the chaos. "You'd better stop before I have to get the sedation needles out!"

I couldn't think. I bashed my head again against the roof of the dog crate, and the bang it made was so loud it echoed afterwards. Just as I started to slip under, Iggy reached forward and grabbed Fang's hand and _wrenched _it out of mine.

Fang stilled.

I flew to the back of the cage, which wasn't far, and clutched my head. I could feel a knot forming.

All three of us were out of breath. Fang looked at his hands uncertainly, as if unable to believe what had just happened.

It was silent for three… two… one…

"Wha-what the HELL, dude?" Iggy shouted. He was in the middle of Fang and I, acting like some sort of barrier. Fang just stared at him dumbly.

"WELL? DON'T JUST SIT THERE! WHAT JUST HAPPENED?" Iggy was completely beside himself now, shaking Fang by the shoulders, who seemed to have retreated into himself.

"I-Iggy" I whispered, the tears now free flowing. "Stop it".

They both stilled at the sight of me, looking shell shocked at the sight of me crying. It was shocking me too. Then, Fang… Fang opened his mouth. And for the first time ever, something came out.

It was low, cracked and very hoarse. It was weak and not very loud. But it was _something _– even if it didn't count as a word – it was a noise of lament, of shame, and I told me he was sorry. So very, very sorry. Before I could react to it, something happened. By that, I mean a needle came through the bars of the cage and was jabbed into my arm.

When I came to, my head felt like cement, from the tranquilizers and the bruises. My eyes were all red and cracked – oh yeah, I'd been crying – and I was lying beside Fang on a mat, Iggy nowhere to be seen. Fang still seemed to be out, so I sat up gingerly and looked around. I noticed some purple blue bruises on my wrist, in the shape of a hand, and quickly brought my sleeve down to cover it.

What we were in looked nothing like a 'gym' as it was named. It was basically one long white room with a low ceiling, no windows and only one door. Strangely enough, there were no white coats or Erasers around – they are usually everywhere, sent to observe and guard us. They could be outside for all I knew, but it was still strange. There were dozens more mutants around us, the majority seemed to be awake and sitting up, but not talking. I recognised a few from that fateful day by the cliff, but the rest seemed to be new. There were horse-hybrids, part fish mutants, which didn't seem to be doing very well here, out of the water.

Unconsciously, I looked for a familiar flash of scales or any part human part reptilians, but quickly stopped myself. What good would that do? Instead, I busied myself searching for Iggy, who I found still sleeping at the other end of the room. There was no point waking him, but I felt Fang begin to stir.

As soon as he opened his eyes and saw me, he flinched and started to turn away, but I stopped him.

"Fang…" I began sadly, but he just shook his head.

With hesitant fingers, I reached out, touching his shoulder first, and when he didn't run away, I gently reached for his face, angling it towards me, and brushing his hair out of his eyes so I could see his eyes.

At first, he wouldn't meet my eyes, but when he did, I saw much disgust and hatred in them, which I realised, was directed internally. Towards himself.

"Look Fang, I forgive you for what you did. I don't believe that you would ever hurt me intentionally. Besides, you were only trying to communicate something, right? Even though I couldn't understand."

When I saw this didn't work, I tried a different approach.

"It doesn't matter anyway, let's just forget about it. And seeing as it must have been so important, I was thinking…"

FANG WAS NOT MUTE. The thought blew me away, I was so sure of it; that he was mute. If he could speak, why didn't he? If he could scream, why didn't he? When we were growing wings, why didn't he scream? I could never have been able to stand that without some sort of release.

But maybe, maybe he hadn't used his voice in so long that he'd forgotten how to. Yes, that must be it. I mean, he was obviously trying to tell me something, but can't seeing as he didn't know how to use his voice any more. It reminded me forcefully of when I first was put into a cage next to Fang, when I hadn't opened my eyes in weeks, just because I couldn't face the world anymore. Isn't that what had basically happened to Fang, except his was a more extreme case.

"I was thinking… of teaching you how to speak again." I waited for his reaction. Seeing no more, but no less self-hatred, I took that as a sign to carry on. "So you're _not _mute, as I thought, you just haven't used your voice in so long you probably forgot how to. But that doesn't mean that you can't in the future!" My eyes lit with a passion. "Because I _heard _you Fang, and so did Iggy, and this way, you can tell me what you want to so desperately".

The corner of his mouth quirked slightly, and the loathing in his eyes lessened. But he didn't look any less sad.

"I _don't care_, Fang. I _don't care _what you did. I know you didn't mean it, and I forgive you".

Fang looked up and into my eyes with something I couldn't detect. But it was something warm and full of life. It made me feel… loved?

Of course, the moment was ruined as always.

"So you forgive him, huh? After his freak out in which he almost tore your arm off?" Iggy spoke behind us. That bitter tone was getting repetitive.

I quickly removed my hands from Fang's face. "Well, what would you have done?" I rounded on him. I was getting sick of his behaviour. Why was he so against Fang? What had Fang done to him?

"Well, I'd have walked away and never talked to him again". He said, looking in Fang's direction loathingly.

"I'd never do that! He's my best friend!" I replied indignantly. Fang grabbed my arm at those last words and I smiled at him.

"Right. RIGHT! So what am I then? Just the poor little blind boy who's not worthy of your attention let alone your _friendship_".

"Iggs, you know it's not like that, you're –"

"I'M WHAT? HUH? WHAT AM I?" Iggy stared at me expectantly, his face red. "WELL?"

"You-you're, I mean it's not-" I fumbled for words, unable to say what I _meant _to say.

He straightened to his full height "You know, I think I'm just going to leave. _Obviously _I'm not wanted here". He started towards the door.

I was pulled out of my stuttering stupor.

"Iggy, think this through! Where are you going to go? There are white coats and Erasers out there, you can't –"

"Just watch me". He pulled open the door, and I started to get up too, while Fang remained immobile on the floor, watching the argument with wide eyes.

"Sorry to disrupt your little bird-love-session going on there". He called, walking out. "But I'm leaving".

"_IGGY! NO!" _

**A/N So! Fang had a little freak out, Iggy walked out (I know I sorta left it on a cliff-hanger, sorry!) and Syringe-guy is Jeb! C'mon, who guessed it? And yes, he's gone, but he's going to make another appearance… perhaps sooner than a lot of you will think! And so that means Max killed Ari, who is Jeb's son… anyone guess when that happened?**

**Review! **

**10+ - I'll update today!**

**8 -I'll update tomorrow**

**6 - I'll update in a week**

**4 - I'll update in a month**

**2 - I'll update in a year**

**0 - …Never?**

**So REVIEW! :)  
>AnonymousAutherx<strong>


	7. Fateful Screams

**A/N See? I kept my word! I updated again today! (That's gotta be some sort of record for me, ;) Totally blown away by the amount of reviews I've gotten, thanks you guys! :)**

Chapter 7: Fateful Screams

I stared at Fang, completely gobsmacked. Did that all… just happen? Did Iggy just…

There was a gentle tugging on my arm – I'd forgotten that Fang still had a hold on it. He seemed to be beckoning me to sit down beside him.

"Sit _down_? You want me to _sit down_? While Iggy's out there – while the white coats and Erasers could be doing who knows what on him and YOU WANT ME TO _SIT DOWN?" _My voice was slowly starting to escalate and I seemed to be on the verge of hysteria.

Iggy had disappeared and it was _my entire fault_. I should have said something, should have gone up there and _physically _pulled him back, should have-

The tugging on my arm had become more insistent.

"Well? Are you coming?" I asked Fang a little coldly. He just raised his eyebrows.

"Well of course I'm going after him! And if it has to be on my own, so be it!" I paused for a few seconds, searching his face for any sign that he was in this with me.

"Fine. FINE!" If he was going to let whatever tiff there was between him and Iggy cost Iggy his life, he could do that. But that didn't mean I was going to stand by and do nothing.

Wrenching my arm from his grasp, I stormed across the room and flung the door open, not even bothering to conceal myself or make as little noise as possible while doing so, I was so mad.

I started up the hallway, leaving a room full of shocked mutants and a very frustrated Fang behind.

I was going to find Iggy.

It was completely and utterly impossible. I had been wandering for at least 20 minutes around endless corridors, each and every one of them exactly the same, with the same locked and boarded up doors. After trying a few of the handles and finding them to be unmovable, I gave up on the rest and carried on walking. There were relatively few white coats and Erasers around, which was very strange—making me think about what was going on today. Some sort of procedure that meant most of them were somewhere else? I hoped so, it would make finding Iggy a lot easier.

The times where I _did _spot a white coat, I would have to dart behind a corner, or underneath a cart full of medical supplies. Being very small made it easy to fit in small hiding places. They didn't suspect a thing.

While I patrolled the corridors a voice in my head kept thinking that this was too easy. There was no way that security could be so lax. It would seem almost simple to escape (if you found an exit), but I knew that wasn't the case – otherwise it would've been done before by other mutants. Where were the cameras, the spy gadgets that should have been everywhere? Something wasn't right.

Reaching a new corridor which was significantly darker than the rest, I slowed to a walk. There was something eerily familiar about this place. Noting that the doors in this corridor weren't boarded up, I peered through a small window on it. It was too dark, I couldn't see anything. I tried the handle. Locked.

This was getting very frustrating. It was pointless! I couldn't just keep wandering round the school, who knew how large it was? For all I knew, Iggy could be in the opposite direction, a few meters or even _miles _away, and I wouldn't know. By the time I had reached the end of the corridor, it had gotten so dark that even my advanced eyes couldn't see further than one, two meters in front of me.

My steps became more cautious than hasty, and they still sounded way too loud – my bare feet were making slapping noises on the cold white tiles. Quite without warning, I crashed into something.

The noise echoed round and round before I jumped back, my hands already getting into the defence position, fists up and close to my chest. When it didn't move, I leaned forward hesitantly, and reached out a hand slowly. Just a finger.

As soon as I touched it again, something clattered to the floor. I jumped about a foot into the air and got ready to run, but then heard something begin to roll towards me. It didn't _sound _dangerous, just like a small object. Bending down, but careful to keep my back away from whatever I had bumped into, (so I couldn't be targeted from behind) I picked the object up and rolled it between my fingers. It was a torch! Finding the switch quickly, I turned it on and shone the beam of light ahead.

And it landed on…

A trolley full of torches and needles.

So all that drama for nothing? But I was glad I found this trolley, I needed light to be able to see where I was going. Picking up a few extra torches, I examined the needles. Most of them had clear liquid inside, but I found one, stuck to the edge, with a strange bright green substance inside. It had a skull and crossbones on the label. Carefully picking it up, I shoved it inside my hospital gown so that it would lie close to my heart. I had a funny feeling I would need it soon.

With a torch now in hand, and a few extra at my disposal, I left the trolley where I had knocked it over and walked on more confidently. I carried on from corridor to corridor, determined to keep my mind focused on finding Iggy, and not how Fang's refusal to help had hurt me. Yes, it _did _hurt me; I couldn't keep my emotions repressed any longer. I didn't understand why he hadn't come to help. _Maybe, _said that little voice in my head, _Maybe he just doesn't care._

"Of course he cares!" I whispered angrily to myself. "We're best friends, and we look out for each other!"

But now the seed of doubt had been placed in my mind, it started to grow. And there I was, mumbling to myself in the middle of a corridor, when the screaming began.

"_NOOOO! STOOOP! PLEASE NO, MAKE IT STOP! _MAKE IT STOP!"

I froze. Oh no, oh no, oh no. I knew that voice only too well.

I broke into a run.

"IGGY? IGGY!"

"HELP! THEY'RE KILLING ME!" Came his answering voice. It washed over me like cold water, chilling and locking my heart in ice.

"IGGY? _IGGY!_" My screams echoed his; I was starting to go crazy. What were they doing? Where they _killing _him? Oh this is was my entire fault! He-

"HEEEELP MEEEEEEEE!" Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod, what am I doing? Where is he? Where's Iggy?

"WHERE ARE YOU? IGGY? IGGY!"

"HEEEELP MEEEEEEEE!" His voice was everywhere, it was nowhere, it was left, right, up, down, in the walls and through the ceiling. I ran frantically, sweat pouring from my face, as well as tears. I tried doors, kicked walls, almost _flew _down hallways – but I couldn't find him. Was his voice getting further away?

"PLEASE! HELP ME! MAKE IT STOOOP! MAKE IT GO AWAAAY!" His screams were killing me, killing my mind, all I could do was keep running, keep running, keep running…

"THEY'RE CUTTING OPEN MY BACK! HEEEL—" His voice was cut off abrubtedly.

Silence.

"Wha- what? I… " I gasped, clutching my sides. "IGGY! WHERE ARE YOUUUU?" The 'U' carried on and on, bouncing off the walls, the ceilings. There was no response.

Stumbling to the nearest wall, I collapsed against it, and slowly slid down. Sobs and shudders wracked my body. Was he… was he dead? Did he die? Ohmygod, those screams…

Someone grabbed my shoulder.

I let out a half cracked shriek, my voice broken from all that screaming. A hand reached out, grasped my side. I flinched, but didn't have the energy to run away, to fight. All I could hear were those screams, those awful screams. But the hand only grabbed a torch, and turned it on. Directed it upwards, towards a face.

Fang's face.

"Y-you c-came". I choked out.

He said nothing, as always, just gathered me in his arms and pulled me into a hug. I fell against him, clutching his shoulders, and just sort of… fell apart.

"He was screaming… s-so much screaming… couldn't tell where… couldn't stop…" My voice dried up, and I just cried. This was too much, my life was too much. How were little six year old girls supposed to deal with this? With all of this?

But Fang held me close and stroked my hair. I took in his comfort, and how he was so strong – so strong to deal with all of this. My shaking slowed down until there were only tears, sliding down my face and into his clothes silently. He could calm me down without ever needing any words.

But this wasn't about me.

This was about Iggy.

So as I pulled back, I wiped away the last of my tears and strengthened my resolve.

I would make myself more like Fang – stronger, sturdier, and harder to break. I wouldn't cry or break down any more; I would have to learn how to deal with these things as they come. Because, ultimately, this was _my _life, and my life is unfair. These things would keep on coming – there will always be people out there who want to kill me, to hurt me, and that was just how it is. Sad or not.

I could feel myself changing, maturing, growing up a little, even though I was only six. In these situations you _had _to become older, to deal with them.

Gone is the old me. It was time to take control.

As I looked at Fang, I had a new glint in my eye. And this one was made of steel.

We were walking – well running, down the hallway. I had given Fang half of my torches, though I said nothing about the needle. I would only use it if absolutely necessary. If what Iggy had shouted was true… well, we'd better hurry.

"He said… he said they were cutting open his back". I whispered. There was no shake in my voice as I said this, I noted, pleased.

Fang did not react to this, but his pace picked up. I think we both knew what that scream meant.

Basically, Fang was able to communicate (mainly through charades and some air diagrams – I'm still not sure whether I understood him fully), that he'd heard some white coats talk about an experiment going on in Sector B with mutant I45JE90Y – which was Iggy's lab name, so that was where we were roughly headed now. I had heard his screams, so he must be close to here. And if you remember the Director's words, she said that the gym was in Sector C, and I couldn't have wandered far from that, so hopefully Sector B should only be one up or down from here.

We had reached a set of stairs. I raised an eyebrow at Fang. He pointed up, so we started to climb. It was a coin toss, we didn't know whether Sector B was above or below Sector C, but obviously Fang thought the School was built going down underground, so we'd just have to try our luck with going up.

The set of stairs took a surprisingly long time to climb, and we were both out of breath by the time we'd reached the summit. I was the first up, so I took a chance to quickly survey our surroundings. No cameras, white coats or Erasers. We were good to go. As soon as I took a step forward, I noticed a sign with 'LIFT' written across in bold red letters.

"Really, Fang?" I said exasperated, motioning up to the sign. We had just wasted a lot of time in which we could have been using to search for Iggy with!

He just rolled his eyes and waved his hand at me which meant 'You could have noticed it too!'

We started forwards, but then I pulled us to a halt at the plaque 'SECTOR D' on the wall.

I groaned and said to Fang, "Thanks a bunch! But we're using the _lift _this time!"

Pressing a button, it didn't take very much time for the lift to arrive. Unfortunately, it was filled with white coats and Erasers. I seem to be using a lot of 'unfortunately's these days, don't I?

"I say we take 'em to the Director". Said one white coat.

"Yeah, that way we might get some credit!" Said another.

"I don't get why we can't take them to the labs. I've been dying to get my hands on one of the avian-human experiments". An Indian white coat stared with fascination at my wings, which were pointing out of my dirty gown. I didn't like him too much.

We were in an empty room, Fang and I had rope binding our, hands and feet, so we couldn't move. The Erasers were standing guard over us, and the white coats were debating what to do. I was so frustrated, it was all I could do to not scream (which was a bad idea because not only would the Erasers and white coats dislike it, I'd already strained my voice far too much today). Somewhere out there, Iggy was being experimented on, tortured – for all I knew, _dead_, and we were stuck in a room will a bunch of empty headed people.

When the lift had arrived, we had tried to run, but the Erasers overpowered us and we got caught. Basically leading to where we were now. Fang shot me a look, to which I retorted,

"It was not my laziness that got us into this! I was only trying to get to Iggy faster! Besides, if you hadn't have gotten the Sectors wrong, we wouldn't even be in this mess!"

"The hybrids will be quiet while the scientists are talking". An Eraser commanded, his foul breath making me wrinkle my nose.

"I won't be told what to do by _you_, dog". I sneered up at him, so agitated, I couldn't think clearly.

"The avian-human hybrid _will _know its place, and that it is a mutant, unworthy to speak".

I started to get angry. Fang nudged me, warning me not to antagonize the Eraser too much, but I was so wound up by the day's events I sort of just went for it. I needed to let it all out.

"_I'm _a mutant? Have you looked in a mirror lately?"

The Eraser started to bring up a paw, getting ready to strike. I held my head high - if I went out, I would go out with dignity.

"Al_right_! That's enough! We have decided". The Indian white coat spoke up. The Eraser did not lower his paw.

"Human-lupine 1875, stop it!" The white coat said angrily. It's paw remained in the same position.

"_Human-lupine 1875!" _The Eraser slowly withdrew his clawed hand, still looking very much like he wanted to slash my face open.

"Sorry, Dr Patel".

"Right". Said the Indian white coat – apparently called Dr Patel. These people didn't deserve the titles of doctors.

"We're taking them to the labs. Dr Hardy, lead the way. Erasers 2317 and 5849 take the experiments. We're going".

I looked over to Fang with a nervous expression on my face. Labs could only ever mean pain and torture. And getting into them wasn't going to help Iggy one single bit. As the Erasers dragged us out, I felt the needle bouncing beside my heart. I had a weapon, but did I really have the guts to _kill _someone?

We reached a bunch of lab rooms.

Dr Patel started calling out a series of instructions.

"I want the dissection tables prepped and ready to go, we have the catalysts and hypodermic needles, yes? And I want scalpels and perhaps some –"

He stopped dead as he swung open the door. I tried to lean round the Erasers to see what was going on, but their hairy hindquarters blocked everything out.

"Ah… well, hello Miss! New to the labs I expect. I see this one is already occupied so we'll just take another lab…" He started inching back towards the exit, making hand motions behind his back saying 'retreat!'

"What have you got behind you, Dr Patel?" Came a distinctly feminine voice.

"Uh, nothing! Nothing at all Miss! Just my fellow scientists and a few Erasers…" His voice trailed off as the female white coat pushed a few white coats out of the way to see what was hidden behind them.

The white coat was small and Hispanic. She had long brown hair, and looked very pretty. It's a shame that she was evil. I saw her stare at us for a few seconds, before gasping.

"I know who these are! They're the avian-human hybrids that –"

"Please, Miss, keep your voice down! We're not supposed to have these experiments –"

"Yes, you definitely aren't!" Her tone had become icy "And when the Director finds out about this…"

"Yeah, about that… we were hoping you wouldn't say anything about this, a favour to a new colleague perhaps?" Dr Patel turned on the charm, trying to convince her not to say anything. I was hoping that she _would_.

The white coat studied him for a moment before replying.

"… Alright". Drat.

"YES!"

"But…"

"Awww…"

"I'm afraid I'll have to take these experiments off of you, Dr Patel".

"What? What gives you any right to –"

"_Because_, I am the new scientist that the Director has placed to look over these experiments. Replacing… who was it? Jeb Batcheler?"

"Jeb Batchel_d_er". Said Dr Patel in a defeated tone. "Well I guess… is there no way to –"

"No. I'm afraid not". Said the female white coat smoothly, cutting over him. "Now, if you'll leave me to my experiments…" She gestured towards the door, and Dr Patel led his group of white coats and Erasers out, looking once more longingly towards Fang and me.

The door swung shut. There were a few beats of silence in which Fang and I looked up at the new white coat uncertainly. Yes, she had just saved us from Dr Patel and his group of sciencey maniacs, but who was to say that she could be even _worse _than him?

She produced a long sharp knife. Yep, definitely worse.

I stared at it with wide eyes, and felt Fang shuffle closer to me.

"What are you goi-"

"Shush". Taking the knife, she sawed our bindings off.

"… Oh".

The white coat stared at us with warm chocolate eyes (not unlike my own, I noticed), and a lovely smile.

"I believe we may have gotten off on the wrong foot here". She said, still smiling. I exchanged glances with Fang.

"I'm Dr Martinez. I'm here to break you guys out".

**A/N Aaand that's it! You'll just have to review to find out what happens next! So, Max has changed quite a bit, and did any of you go 'Awww' when Fang came after her? Definitely a fax moment :) **

**Also, do any of you know what's happening to Iggy? **

**Clue: "THEY'RE CUTTING OPEN MY BACK!" Now, where does that sound familiar? I'll leave it to you to work it out, I'm sure you can guess ;)  
>Anyone surprised with Dr Martinez? Don't worry; I have a lot planned with her!<strong>

**Review! (I got so many last time, I'm gonna do this again :))**

**10+ - I'll update today!**

**8 -I'll update tomorrow**

**6 - I'll update in a week**

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**2 - I'll update in a year**

**0 - …Never?**

**AnonymousAutherx**


	8. Newly Hatched

**A/N Hello people! New chapter today – it's dedicated to a certain lovely reviewer (Soul-Whisperer) who made me feel like updating now - which is why it's not my usual length :) But thanks for all the reviews – (We're now hitting at least 11 per chapter, I feel super happy!)**

**Anyways, read on!  
><strong>

Chapter 8: Newly Hatched

"You're – you're gonna _what_?" I gasped. Fang was sitting next to me, his eyes wide – an equivalent to shell shocked for him.

But Doctor Martinez carried on as if we hadn't said anything. She was bustling around the lab, picking up various medical devices and noting things on her clipboard.

"What did you say, dear? I'm sorry, I wasn't quite listening". She didn't turn around while she said this, but something in the underlying tone of her voice made me think twice about repeating what she had just said. I noticed Fang give an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

Snapping my mouth shut, I mumbled,

"Nothing". I examined her as if _she _was the weird bird specimen and _we _were the scientists. This was, no doubt, the strangest white coat I'd ever met. She treated us like regular children! I had never once, in my life, ever been called 'dear' before… were was her persona of evil that all the white coats had? What was up with her? Was this some sort of test?

And I had never, _ever _heard a white coat talk about '_breaking us out_'. Why would they do that seeing as they ran this place? Even mutants didn't dare say any words about trying to escape for fear of being caught and having to face the consequences.

It was supposed to be _us _against _them_. Helpless mutants against crazy white coats. Good against evil.

That was how it was, how it would always be. There were never any white coats that were half on the experiments' side; there were no experiments' that were half on the white coats' side. There was no mix. There was a simple clear line, never questioned, never mentioned, but _always there_.

And now Doctor Martinez had come into the picture, and I had absolutely no idea how to deal with her.

"Now, if you two don't mind, would you hop on into that cage over there?" She pointed to a large dog crate, the biggest one I'd ever seen.

"Sorry about doing this, I don't understand why the Director insisted, I don't see why you guys can't just walk! But I got the biggest cage I could without seeming too inconspicuous about it".

When Fang and I didn't move, she said;

"Well come on! You can climb into cages right? Or did I get your IQ digits mixed up?" She asked, laughing a little.

I moved, a little robotically, up and into the metal cage, still feeling completely out of myself. Did a white coat _really _just ask us to get in a cage by ourselves? Without hauling us in roughly and slamming the door on our faces? Was she serious?

I wheeled round to face Fang.

"Was a white coat just _polite _to us?" I asked him. He made a show of clutching his heart and falling over in disbelief, but I slapped his shoulder.

"Seriously, Fang, is she for real?" He narrowed his eyes and made a motion with two fingers, pointing at his eyes, then at hers. Ah, so he didn't quite believe this act either. I think he was telling me to watch out for her.

As she wheeled our cage out on a sort of trolley type contraption, she started to make small talk.

"Now really, you two are way too malnourished. As soon as I get you two back – actually, I think I might order some food now". She pulled the trolley to a halt.

"Hey, Steve!" She called to a plump little man in scruffy navy blue overalls. "Think you can get these two some food? And I mean the real kind, not the gungy vitamin power drink they're dishing out these days…"

"Anything for you, Val". He grinned, winking before waddling away.

"That's Steve", said Doctor Martinez (or 'Val' as Steve said) "He's the sweetest little thing! I find it helps a lot to have a maintenance officer owe you a favour or two – they can make most things happen…" She trailed off. "Ah, he's coming back! And I see he's got… Oh Steve you shouldn't have!" She said that last part to the maintenance officer.

"Had to nick this lot off of the boys", He said gruffly. "Hope those two enjoy it", he cast a beady eye on Fang and I, as if doubtful if he should've done it or not, now he saw who he was giving it to.

Dr Martinez laughed. "I'm sure they will, Steve, thanks!" She started the trolley again, pushing the plates of food through the gaps between the bars, leaving Steve behind – who was tipping his oily hat towards her.

"Ah, good old Steve! You lot wouldn't have seen him before, he doesn't usually come up to your Sector…"

I tuned her out, instead focusing on the mouth-watering food in front of me. The smell wafting from it was unbelievable. Not only because I hadn't eaten in so long beforehand, but also because our usual food is mainly some sort of yellow gunge, bits of protein, carbohydrates and vitamins all mashed up in there. Sure, it energises you, gives you all the sources you need for the countless experiments in the day ahead, but it tastes _disgusting_. I'd never had _real _food before.

There were some roughly rectangular shapes on the plate, crispy and golden in colour. There was also a sort of bread, patty thing, with bits of meat and lettuce and this red stuff which looked like blood that I had no name for.

"It's called a burger, if you were wondering, and those are chips". She pointed at the yellow rectangular shapes on my plate. **(A/N Yeah, I'm British, so I call them chips. I know in America they're called fries or whatever, but just go along with it! ;)) **

"Well? Are you going to eat or what?" It was true, I couldn't resist it anymore. As I was about to lunge for the burger, Fang shot forward and pulled me back.

"What are you doing? Let me go, I need to eat!" I struggled with him. He put up a hand to make me wait, and cautiously picked off a little piece of my burger.

"Hey!" I shouted. "Eat your own food!" But Fang prodded me, and motioned up to Dr Martinez, before doing a sweeping motion across his neck with his hand.

"Huh?" I said, confused. Then I worked it out. Oh yeah, we were going to be cautious around her, I forgot! For all we knew, she could be getting us to open up to her before going in for the kill – and that would probably work. There was no way that a white coat _couldn't _be evil. For all we knew, she could have gotten Steve to poison this food or something.

"Right!" I said in comprehension, rolling my eyes at my stupidity. If not for Fang, I could be dead by now. "But don't –"

It was too late; Fang had already stuffed the piece of food into his mouth. I watched aghast to see if he would suddenly have a seizure or something, but the seconds ticked on and nothing happened. I felt like I was on a rollercoaster ride, at the very top of one of the bends, waiting for the rollercoaster to drop and for me to go shooting down.

Actually, Fang was starting to look increasingly hungry. The little taster had obviously done nothing to satisfy his appetite; actually, I think it had made it worse.

"C'mon, _eat_! You are hungry right? I promise I haven't poisoned it or something". Chuckled Dr Martinez, not knowing just how much we had been thinking along those lines. Before she had even finished speaking though, Fang had dug into his food with such fervour; bits of lettuce and meat were flying onto me.

"_Fang_!" I whisper shouted; we still didn't know if she haddone something to the food or not. But watching Fang eating made it impossible to resist the food anymore. Giving myself up to the hunger and temptation, I began eating with as much - if not more – ferocity than Fang, stuffing as much in my mouth as possible.

If any white coats saw a doctor pushing two avian-humans in a cage (who were acting less like birds and more like pigs) on a trolley, they didn't say anything.

"Please, Doctor Martinez", I said, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. My stomach rumbled for more food, but I dared not ask for more.

"As I told you, call me Val!"

"Doctor Martinez, where is our friend?" Calling her Val would be too weird, would make her even less of a white coat than she was now. And we _really _needed to find Iggy.

"Do you mean the experiment I45JE90Y?"

I nodded eagerly.

"Oh, he's completely fine, we've established him in a new room – would you like to see him now?"

It took a few seconds for this to sink in, then I breathed out a _huge_ sigh of relief. It this white coat was serious, and he was 'completely fine' I would consider her to be on our side, and stop the suspicions. Seriously, that was how much I wanted, no, _needed_, Iggy to be okay.

"That would be great", I breathed, beaming at Fang, whose eyes seemed to gleam a little as he looked back at me. I took that as his show of relief too.

Dr Martinez now started to pull us into a different direction, traveling up a lift and through a set of corridors. I was bouncing in anticipation, only just being able to hold back asking if she could go faster. We were going to see Iggy again!

"Here we are", She said, stopping outside a door. Pulling a set of keys out of her pocket, she unlocked the room and unfastened the latch on the cage. Fang and I tumbled out of the dog crate in our haste, and before I had even hit the ground, I looked up to see a familiar scarred face.

"_IGGY!_" This scream wasn't of fear though, it was of joy. I flung myself onto him, and hugged him tight – this wasn't too different from my reunion with Fang, now I look back at it.

"You're okay! I heard you screaming and I started freaking out, we tried to search but the Erasers and white coats caught us, they tried to experiment on us, but – Fang, come over here!" I pulled Fang from the floor, and into our little huddle. He became kind of rock like, so Iggy and I just had to make do with joining him in our group hug.

"Woah, woah, calm down! I'm fine, you guys". Iggy laughed, though I noticed it was a little strained. I drew back and took this chance to _properly _look at Iggy. He seemed a _lot _thinner, paler, and altogether weaker than since we last saw him. He looked stunned, though pleased to see us, with a grin on his face. But a shadow was set in his face, casting half of it in darkness. Not literally, but I could see it in his expression and in the way he held his body. It was the stance someone held when they had just undergone extreme pain, and… changes? I began to worry.

"Iggy, about what happened…" I started, talking about the argument.

"Don't worry about it. All water under the bridge right?" His sightless white eyes sought mine.

"Right". I said happily, pulling him in for another squeeze. But something still didn't seem right… wait… "Iggy, back when you were screaming, something you said made me think that you had…"

Fang, who was standing by Iggy's shoulder, patted his back, as a sign of comfort. But no sooner than when his hand came into contact with Iggy's back did he pull away abruptly and look horrified.

Iggy grimaced.

I looked between the two of them, quickly figuring out what just happened. Did Fang just feel…?

Fang was opening and closing his mouth soundlessly, but he seemed to be asking a question. And then Iggy slowly pulled up the hem of his white t-shirt, revealing what was underneath.

"… Wings". I finished unnecessarily. I was looking at a pair of slimy cobwebby wings, delicate and grey – exactly like what mine and Fang's had looked like when they were newly grown – straight out from our back.

"Oh…" It was impossible to tell what colour they would be – and I could see that they were already bigger than mine were now. See, it was the whole 'cutting open my back' that made me think… I remembered clearly about how I had thought there was some sort of invisible knife slicing me open. And the _dream_! I couldn't believe I hadn't thought about that before now, what with all the drama going on. In the dream, Iggy had wings. It seemed like it was actually coming true… though there was yet to be done with the other children I saw.

"You see, experiment I45JE90Y here –"

"Call him Iggy, Doctor Martinez", I said, her having my complete trust now. I did say that she would if Iggy turned out to be safe and sound. Which he was… kind of. Iggy gave me a questioning look – right, he didn't know that she was an exception – probably the _only _exception to the case of the School, ever, and the only nice white coat in all of existence. I can't believe that I just put 'nice' and 'white coat' in the same sentence!  
>I mouthed "Explain later", back at him, and turned back to Doctor Martinez.<p>

"_Iggy_, is part of the same process as you two are in. We're producing a line of avian-human hybrids, and I have to say, you are turning out quite successful. It's just such a shame you got into that accident dear", She said to Iggy. "But we're looking into getting that fixed".

Iggy raised his eyebrows disbelievingly as he stared in the direction of her voice, feeling the rough scars that marred his face, and touching the edges of his blind eyes.

Was she really saying she might be able to correct Iggy's blindness? And restore this face? If so, it would be a whole lot easier to convince to Iggy that she was a _good _white coat than I originally thought!

She beamed at us and turned to leave.

But the strangest thing was, as she did, I could have sworn I saw a flash of dirty blond hair in little curls, and the biggest most innocent blue eyes I'd ever seen.

**A/N Ooooh, I wonder who that could be? Just setting the plot now, it'll begin to unravel soon…**

**And yeah, a lot of you guessed that Iggy had grown wings, so congrats to those reviewers!**

**I don't usually make up characters of my own, but Steve just popped up out of nowhere… I actually kinda like him!**

**Review!**

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**AnonymousAutherx**


	9. Being Leader

**Chapter 9: Being Leader**

"Hey. Hey! You!" I was faintly aware of someone shaking me. "Wake up! WAKE UP!"

I was lying in something warm and sturdy. It felt really soft, and I felt like I could lie there forever without moving. It felt… feathery? I opened my eyes to see… black?

Startled, I jumped up and away, feeling tense. I looked determinedly ahead, feeling a light blush come over my cheeks. I couldn't have really been lying in…

"Um… are you okay?" Iggy asked questionably, hearing my sudden movement. I turned around slowly, noticing Fang's arms were still outstretched. He raised an eyebrow at the redness of my cheeks. I intentionally looked away.

"Yeah, I'm fine thanks… what just happened?"

"I don't know, but it sounded like you just collapsed or something. Care to explain?"

I blacked out? Why? I was feeling perfectly fine…

_I saw a flash of dirty blond hair in little curls, and the biggest most innocent blue eyes I'd ever seen_

The girl! I wasn't sure if she was real or not, but she must've been the reason I collapsed… but what did she have to do with anything? I was pretty certain that I'd never seen her before, but I had an odd sense of deja vu… which was weird seeing as I only saw her for a split second – enough to make out the blue eyes and blond hair. I was quite sure she was a girl though, which was strange seeing as it could've just as easily been a boy. But there was something about her…

"… Or you could've just fainted from the excitement of seeing me again". Iggy grinned, the scars on his face twisting.

"Right, that must've been it". Not getting my obvious sarcasm, he just grinned even wider.

Fang looked at me questionably, seeing as I still hadn't answered the question. Not wanting to sound crazy by asking whether _they _had ever seen a little blond haired girl before zonking out, I pretended to not have seen his look.

"So…" Iggy started again, _still _smiling. "Do you guys like my wings". As if demonstrating, he gave his wings a little shake, showing off their pearly shine. "There aren't any feathers yet, but you can tell that they're going to look awesome."

Hearing Iggy, I smiled loosely, feeling another wave of relief at having him back. Hopefully now there would be no more split ups, or in my case, black outs. I ran a finger along the tip of his wing, feeling the texture of it. It fluttered slightly underneath my touch. They were already massive, seeming to grow in the mere minutes that we'd been reunited.

"That reminds me". Iggy turned around to look at me sharply. "Back in the arena… when we were trying to escape from the snake… you said I had wings… that I could fly… how did you know?" Fang also looked between us intently. I hadn't told him about that.

"And also, even further before then, when we first met… you knew that I used to have blue eyes! _How did you know that_?"

Okay, when he put it like that, it did sound really freaky. But my actual explanation was even freakier, and I wasn't sure whether I should tell them or not. They were both looking at me so hard, I felt as if they were going to start shaking me to get some answers. I winced, remembering Fang's little freak out. Thinking again, if I couldn't trust these guys, who could I trust? Making a split decision, I took a deep breath.

"Ok, I'm going to tell you two something I haven't told anyone else before… and please don't think I'm crazy after this, okay? Just let me finish."

Iggy nodded while Fang just continued to look confused.

"Back when… back when Fang and I were growing our wings…" I took another breath to steady myself.

"I blacked out towards the end of it, when we were going through the final process. Except it wasn't really blacking out, more like dreaming seeing as I had a vision –

At Fang and Iggy's astounded looks, I rushed to correct myself.

"It wasn't really a vision! Or at least I don't think so… more like a really really vivid dream. It was just so real, you know? And I was dreaming that I was flying, as in out of the school, and in the clouds. It was just me for a moment, then… then _you _came in, out of the clouds above me." I spoke to Iggy.

"Hang on… do you mean you dreamt of me… _before _you saw me?"

I nodded hesitantly. "That's right – but the weird thing is that you had blue, _seeing _eyes, and you weren't burned or, you know, scarred." I gestured to his face. "That was why I was so surprised the first time I saw you.

"And it wasn't just that, there were three other bird kids afterwards too, all with wings. One looked to be sort of African with mocha coloured skin and curly hair, and there was a boy and a girl with blond hair and blue eyes. I don't know who they are though…"

"Or you just haven't met them yet?" Interrupted Iggy. "Think about it, after having this dream, you found me first, and you saw me first in the dream right?" I nodded. "Well then, seeing as the next person you saw in the dream was the curly haired girl, it makes sense that we will find her next." He seemed firm and resolute on this. "But I saw Fang last in the dream, and I met him first." I argued, and at this, Fang looked at me sharply. I still wasn't communicating with him so I didn't acknowledge it, though I was glad to see that they were both taking this well, and not looking at me like I was a freak.

"Maybe because you'd already met him before having dream?" Iggy tried.

Shrugging, I carried on.

"So as I said, I saw you last, Fang". I spoke quietly now. "And the thing was, before it ended, you… you _spoke _to me." I looked up at him hesitantly for the first time, and was quite surprised to see that his back was towards me. I hated that – being unable to read his expressions as that was the only form of communication we had. When he didn't turn back around, we just sat in silence for a few moments, just taking it all in.

I was remembering the dream – or it could be vision now… and also that small, but enormously significant sound that Fang had made. If the dream truly was a vision, did that mean that Fang could talk? Did it mean we would finally – _finally _be free of the School and all its horrors?

Mirroring my thoughts, Iggy broke the silence.

"Do you think that it's the future?" He asked wistfully. He was tracing his burns again, and feeling his blind eyes. If it were the future, it would mean Iggy getting his sight back, and that was a major hope for him, and also for all of us. "Do you think that what Dr Martinez said about getting my eyes and face fixed is true?"

Suddenly remembering something vital, I exchanged looks with Fang, who had now turned to look at Iggy (his face was once again an emotionless mask). I couldn't believe that I hadn't thought to say this to him straight away! But I was now.

Beckoning Iggy to come closer, I began to talk lowly.

"About Dr Martinez, when we first met her, she… she…"

"Go on!" He said rather impatiently.

I looked around fearfully, half expecting Erasers and white coats to jump out at us, before leaning in as close as I could and whispering in Iggy's ear so softly that the words were barely there;

"_She said she was going to break us out."_

At first, I thought he hadn't heard, his facial expression didn't change and he didn't move. Then, quite suddenly, causing me to jump, he leapt up onto his feet.

"Don't you see? Don't you _see_?" he looked ecstatic, I'd never seen him looking this happy before. "Your dream, my eyes, Fang's voice, heck even me! _It's all coming true!_"

"Iggy keep your voice down!" I reprimanded, still skittish after saying those tabooed words. But he would not calm down.

"So all we need to do –" He reached down and pulled both me and Fang up. "All we need to do is get the rest of the bird kids, and we'll be home free!"

I revelled in the fantasy of being up in the sky once again, the feeling of no more white coats ever, being rid of the school and all its strings…

I shook myself out of it, and tapped Iggy on the shoulder sharply.

"Get real! I've never seen these kids before, let alone where to find them!"

"You found me, didn't you?" Iggy would not be put down. Already, I was regretting the decision about telling them, I wasn't sure about all of this, and to tell Iggy that he was getting his sight back… to give him that hope, heck to give _all _of us that hope. What if I was wrong? What if that was some sort of delusion deduced from all the chemicals and drugs that I had running through me? What if this was all some sort of a big coincidence – I just _happened _to dream of a boy who looked like Iggy but was in fact not him…

I was jolted out of my minor internal meltdown by Fang coming to stand beside Iggy. He looked at me, his black eyes hard and sturdy. He didn't need to say anything for me to understand. He was set on this too. And that was basically the deciding vote.

Who cared if this could turn out to not be true? What did we have to lose by chasing this dream – all right, vision – nothing we haven't already lost.

At my slowly forming smile, Iggy pronounced

"I think you should be the leader for all this. Seeing as you had the vision and all." He looked at Fang for back up. Fang nodded once.

My smile became a grin as I looked around at the two. We were all in this together now, no matter what. We were the bird kids; we were going to become the first mutants ever to escape the School.

Deciding to make my first move as leader, I put my fist out, between us.

Fang was quick to put his on top of mine.

Then Iggy.

We all tapped fists, feeling like we were making a pact, an agreement, a bond. We were never going to give up on this, ever.

Something just then clicked.

I don't know what it was, or if they felt it too, but there was no backing out of this now. We were in this for life – together. And I was the leader.

**A/N Did you like it? What I did at the end there? I take pride in it ;) **

**But yeah, you can see it all coming together now, and I promise, as of next chapter, the search for Nudge is on!**

**I'm really sorry it took me this long to update, but it's the holidays now, so you can expect more updates :)**

**Review!**

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**AnonymousAutherx**


	10. The Machine

**Chapter 10: The Machine**

"I'm going to find her, I will. I _will._ What does she look like again?"

"African, short, frizzy hair – Iggy, I've been through this enough already, we're _not _going to find her, we don't even know who she is!"

Ever since I'd told them about the dream, Iggy had been dead set on finding the other girl, the curly haired one. Fang was more my side – I think we both remembered when a certain someone ran off and into the School – out of the rooms the white coats kept us in, that is. The screams still haunted me… even now.

Security had been strangely lax around here, as I had noticed since Iggy's… 'Sudden departure'. There weren't any white coats keeping us under lock and key, and Erasers guarding the front door. Actually it had been ages since I'd been experimented on at all… ever since I'd grown my wings actually. I chose not to think that the School was changing (becoming a nicer, better place) but that there were different forces at work here. Was it a coincidence that since Dr Martinez started working here all these things started happening? It seemed suspicious…

The very person I'd just been thinking about suddenly appeared behind me. I gave a start, ignoring Fang's raised eyebrow – I know I'd been really jumpy lately, but with what had happened in my life so far, you can give me credit for that.

"Who are you trying to find?" She asked. Giving Iggy a quick 'I told you so look' before remembering he couldn't see it, I turned round to face Dr Martinez.

"It was nothing, miss."

"As I told you, my name is Valencia. And it didn't _sound _like nothing. What are you lot up to?" She looked questionably at all three of us.

None of us responded (I had a very good poker face – great for telling lies with the utmost sincerity – Fang was being emotionless as usual, and seeing as Iggy couldn't even see her suspicious glare, there was no need to worry about him spilling).

Leaning in, Dr Martinez whispered;

"This wouldn't be about the you-know-what that we discussed when we first met, right?" He gaze made it very clear about what unforgettable words she was suggesting to us.

I immediately started shaking my head frantically so that she would stop talking before some white coats would come and take us away – who knows who could be listening in right now?

She just chuckled.

"Don't worry about it – I control all the monitoring devices now, so you can be sure that no one is hearing or listening to us right now. You remember Steve right? So now, I basically have some higher standing with the maintenance guys, quite useful actually." She winked at us.

At our unchanging expressions, she sighed.

"How can I prove this to you… that I want to help… Ah ha!" Dr Martinez started to search her pockets, there were quite a few considering the huge white scrubs she was wearing.

Finally she produced something long and sharp, now chipped with damage. It was a grey/ white rather like ivory. It was on a long chord of string. A very familiar chord of string…

I gasped.

"My _fang_!" I lunged forwards and almost wrestled it out of her grasp. With the real Fang back with me, I had almost forgotten it, but now I remembered how much sentiment this object held to me.

Iggy looked confused.

Fang just looked surprised I still had it – or, used to still have it, seeing as I had just gotten it back. It had been years since he had given the fang to me. I rolled my eyes a little, signalling that I wasn't likely to just throw it away. That Eraser fang had too much history and meaning. To both of us.

"But wait… how did you get it back? The last time I had it, syrin-"

Dr Martinez coughed loudly, stopping my words.

"So, do you believe me now?"

I nodded eagerly, slinging my beloved fang back around my neck; where it belonged. It clinked along with the needle filled with poison; so both now rested near my heart. A saviour and a redemption…

"But… what does that fang have to do with anything?" Iggy asked, feeling out of place. "It's just a tooth!"

I glared at him, whereas he just looked unknowingly at me – unknowingly, that is, how much he had just offended me.

"Then I guess you can tell me who you wish to find."

I bit my lip while looking towards Fang and Iggy for help. Fang just had a 'you're the leader, so you know what to do' it was very frustrating and unhelpful. Fang nudged Iggy a little to see if he approved too. He obviously wasn't getting the message of our question, so I decided for him – after all, he was the one who wanted to go after the girl the most.

"We were just wondering… do you know if there are any more… like us." I shook my wings for emphasis. Alright, it wasn't quite telling the exact truth, I doubt I could ever do that to a white coat, no matter who they were or how trustworthy they were (and Dr Martinez was the most trustworthy white coat I was ever going to get). There were just too many wounds inflicted (mentally, psychologically and physically). So the scars made it almost impossible to do so. But that was the closest to truth I could get.

"Of course! Only natural you would want to find out more about your kind." Dr Martinez said thoughtfully.

"There is only one more that I am aware of right now, and she is in the same Sector as you guys are".

Iggy glanced over in my general direction with a triumphant look on his face.

"There could well be more in the institute, but this experiment is the only one I am aware of. However, being avian human isn't what she is known for."

"What is she known for the?" I asked hesitantly, almost afraid of the answer. What if she turned out to be a monster? Like the Erasers?

"She is known for being the very first ever natural lodestone."

"A natural what?" Asked Iggy.

"In simple terms, she is a magnet. A genetic magnet, born that way to attract metals. And nothing short of the most powerful magnet in the world. Right here in this institute."

"So… is she a machine then?" I breathed.

"In some ways, yes. A living breathing, magnet-machine."

"What's her name?" Asked Iggy quietly.

"Well, her proper industrial name is:

'NATURAL URACIL DUDUCTIONAL GRAVITATIONAL ELECTROMAGNET'

But we call her Nudge for short."

**A/N Pretty cool, huh? It took me ages to come up with what NUDGE stood for, so sorry if you research it and it makes no sense – the 'U' was really hard, so I just googled chemicals starting with 'u' and I got uracil ;) **

**I hope you guys got why Nudge is a 'magnet-machine' otherwise, you're not proper MR fans! Jk ;)**

**But yeah, this chapter was basically just a little filler; the real stuff comes next :)**

**Thank you for all those who reviewed, they made my day! **

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**0 - …Never?**

**AnonymousAutherx**


	11. Blue Lights

**Chapter 11: Blue Lights**

Dr Martinez looked at us all expectantly.

"Well…? Are you coming with me to find her or not?" Not leaving us time to answer, she swiftly turned round and marched out of the door.

Iggy immediately followed her footsteps, running into the wall at first then feeling along it before finding the door frame. He patted it once before setting though it.

I looked at Fang, a crease between my eyebrows. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to find this 'Nudge' girl too, but it simply was just too dangerous. The risks were too high. If the School had taught me anything, it was that the safer things were, that there would be less of a chance of people dying.

Namely me. (Oh, and Fang and Iggy too I suppose…)

Fang shrugged at me before following Iggy out the door.

When he saw I wasn't following, he popped his head round the frame and beckoned me with his head. I however, fidgeted on the spot, bouncing up and down agitatedly. In the end though, my heart (following Fang and Iggy) over rid my brain (doing the more sensible thing), and I hurried after them.

I caught up with them down the middle of the corridor.

"Get behind each other quickly and look scared". Dr Martinez whispered to us hastily, stopping us just before the corner.

At our bemused looks, she spoke;

"Don't you think that three experiments and a white coat just ambling down a corridor won't look suspicious? I have to look like I'm leading you to an experiment or something".

She started forward again, and Fang immediately followed her, keeping just a distance so that it looked like they were together, yet far enough so it looked like Fang was scared of her.

I drew up behind Fang, and positioned Iggy behind me, keeping hold of a belt loop on his pants so that he didn't stray from his place and look out of line.

We went up many staircases, and I noticed the same sign 'Sector B' on one of the walls. That brought a shiver down my spine. I turned away, but not quickly enough as the bad memories were already starting to resurface. I tightened my hand on Iggy's belt loop to reassure myself that he was still there.

We went up many flights of stairs, which all looked perfectly symmetrical. I saw Fang look down over the railing once, then abruptly straighten up and looked directly at Dr Martinez's back instead. Bending over to see what was so bad, I immediately wished I hadn't. The rows of stairs circling downwards were so dizzying that I felt my head spin for a second. This was nothing like flying hundreds of feet up in the air. Here if I fell down, there wasn't even enough room for me to open my wings. I would just keep falling until I hit the floor. Saying that, I couldn't actually _see _the floor. Lurching upright like Fang did, I grasped hold of his belt loop too, to steady myself. Fang stiffened for a moment, before relaxing.

Saying that, just how big was the School? The way I pictured it (and I'd only seen bits of it from outside, like in the yard), it was a large white building, wide but not very tall. But seeing how many stairs there were, it was turning out to become a skyscraper in my mind. My heart sank. Just how would Dr Martinez break us out of something so colossal? It seemed impossible, yet again.

My thoughts were broken at Dr Martinez saying "We're almost here". And, instead of continuing up the flight of stairs, she pushed open a door that I would not have even seen, it blended into the wall so well – even despite my enhanced vision – labelled "Higher Level Experiments. Authorized Personnel Only".

We came into a little white room.

There was a little black computer with a microphone attached at the very end of it, on the wall next to a set of very strong looking metal doors.

A little voice coming from it made Iggy jump behind me, and I gave a startled yelp.

"Please state your name and business".

Dr Martinez went up to it, and spoke directly into the microphone.

"Dr Valencia Martinez. I'm here to take three experiments of the AH file to have a decontamination regime".

"ID please".

"Dr Martinez flashed a little white card very quickly in front of the computer screen, and I heard the faint sound of a picture being taken before the metal doors creaked open. I tried to see where she put it back (even though she was on our side, having a thing like that would be _very _useful), but the movement was too quick, and I missed it.

Dr Martinez bustled us in, and swiftly shut the doors behind us. Pressing a finger to her lips, she began to lead us once again down a corridor. This one was relatively short though, and the door at the end had a window in it.

"Now". Dr Martinez whispered excitedly. "I won't be able to get you inside, but you should be able to get a peek. Its lunch break right now, so there won't be anyone inside… just the girl. Come on, have a look!"

We all eagerly clamoured round the small glass window, but what was inside was just…

"There's nothing. Nothing inside. We came all this way for nothing?!" Beside me, Fang's hands clenched tight.

"Can somebody please explain to me what's going on?" Asked a seemingly annoyed Iggy, who was standing behind us.

I swivelled round to face him, letting go of his belt loop (I'd forgotten I'd even had a hold on that still). "There's nothing inside the room at all. It's just white, there are loads of wires, and a huge black box thing, but there's no girl with wings in it at all. We've come all this way for nothing".

Before Iggy could say anything, we were interrupted by Dr Martinez.

"Oh no… Oh no… The poor thing… the poor thing…"

"Umm… Dr Martinez?" I asked unsurely.

Suddenly, there were tears in her eyes. I reeled back, a little shocked.

Dr Martinez bowed her head a little, and shook it. "I'm so sorry children, I shouldn't have taken you here… the poor thing… the poor girl…"

"What poor girl, Dr Martinez? Are- are you talking about Nudge?" Iggy asked hesitantly.

However, before she got a chance to reply, the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps were heard only a few corridors down.

Dr Martinez's eyes suddenly widened, and she wiped away the tears quickly.

"Oh no, this is bad, really bad, you're not supposed to be here, and we weren't supposed to be seen…"

I grasped Iggy's belt loop again, but even tighter than before. Dr Martinez looked like she was having some sort of breakdown, her face was so white.

But the only one who actually acted was Fang.

Looking around for any escape routes, he must have come to the conclusion that the door we were outside of was our only place to hide, if we could.

So, pushing us out of the way, he took a running start and kicked the door open.

It flew open with a bang.

"Hey! Who's there? You're not authorized!" Came a voice. The footsteps had now gotten faster and louder.

We all darted into the room, me knocking Fang's shoulder saying "Couldn't have done that a little quieter?" In a quick whisper.

He gave me a swift glance saying 'Didn't see you doing anything'.

"Quit looking at each other, we need to hide!" Hissed Iggy, and grabbed both our arms and headed forward. Thankfully Fang stopped him before he could hit a wall (and us too), and we all squatted down underneath a long white desk, which was more like a bar (in the shape of one) than a table. It had wood in the front of it, so as long as no-one actually came and sat down here, we should've been hidden. I didn't know where Dr Martinez was, but at that moment, it wasn't my primary concern.

"Look, the door to the experiment N-U-D-G-E is open… that's highly confidential! When the Director hears about this…" The voices were now at the door. Their footsteps stopped abruptly.

"Dr Martinez?" Came a voice.

"_Valencia_? What are you doing here?" Said another.

"…Oh! Sorry! I was just looking around this lab, you know, seeing as I'm working in the field of Avian-Humans… I already have three experiments, but I just wanted to check out another, purely for research reasons… I didn't mean to intrude on your work!"

"But what are yo-" The voice was swiftly cut off with the hiss of another "You know she works right underneath the Director!"

I absorbed this new information quickly.

"This was probably under her orders! We don't wanna get in trouble, do we?"

"Okay… fine". Relented the other under his breath quietly.

Then, a little louder; "Feel free to look around! We just better get working; we have a deadline about…

There was a slight pause, and I pictured him glancing at his wristwatch.

"NOW! Quick Jimmy, we've gotta hurry if we don't want our asses kicked…"  
>"Sorry". Muttered 'Jimmy' as their footsteps started to come closer and closer to our hiding spot…<p>

"WAIT!" Shouted Dr Martinez.

"Huh?" A white coat above us stopped in the process of pulling a chair out from just in front of Fang.

"Nothing", Said Dr Martinez weakly. "Please excuse me… Carry on".

The white coat said nothing, but sat down. Quickly, Fang pressed really hard onto my side, causing me to fall onto Iggy, as to avoid the legs that were heading towards his spot.

However, that push which made me fall into Iggy made Iggy fall into another set of legs…

Belonging to Jimmy.

"What the—" He looked under the table, then jumped so high that his knees cracked against the top of the desk, hard.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING UNDERNEATH THERE?"

"J-Jimmy?"

"Under the table, Nick, escaped mutants! How did they get out of their cages? We've gotta sound the alarm! Quickly!"

Nick looked underneath too, saw our pale faces, then swiftly grabbed the hems of all three of our shirts.

"P-Please don't…" Dr Martinez tried weakly.

White coat Nick paused in hauling us out, and White coat Jimmy asked:

"Valencia?...You know these experiments? You've got to help us get the H-Lupine experiments to restrict them…"

"Wait. WAIT! They- they're my experiments".

Both of them paused. "You know how they got out then?" Jimmy asked.

Dr Martinez shook her head. "I took them here", She said in a whisper.

"What?"

"I took them here". This time, she said it loudly and clearly, her head held high. I looked at her in awe, my respect for her once again rising.

Jimmy looked at her in disbelief before Nick interrupted.

"Look, I don't know what's happening here, but we've GOT to meet our deadline, it's really important… You know the consequences, Jimmy".

White coat Jimmy nodded, his face pale.

"Fine, we'll just tie them up and leave them for now… her too". He nodded in Dr Martinez's direction, unable to meet her eyes.

"…Jimmy?" She asked timidly, eyes big again.

"I'm sorry Val, but I just can't get involved with you anymore, you know what happens to BreakerOuters and their acquaintances…" He sighed. "Nick, you've got the binds?"

"Yep". He produced some long thick rope from inside a drawer. That was it? I felt relieved. We could easily break out of that. Tying it round the three of us, quickly and firmly, he chucked some to Jimmy who then began to restrain Dr Martinez's hands and ankles. She didn't even try to resist.

Shoving us roughly down on the ground, White Coat Nick then looked hard at us, looked at us like we were monsters.

"Now, I'm going to shackle you to the walls. These shackles were built with titanium and are very old. There's never been a mutant who's been able to break free of them before, no matter what they were. So don't you pathetic birds even try, I'm warning you now".

To emphasise his point, he aimed a sharp kick at Iggy's head.

The boot connected with a dull thud.

I cried out, resisting against the ropes.

Iggy curled up into a small ball. He didn't say anything, but judging by the way his hands were clenched so hard it must have hurt a lot. Fang had become stoic beside me once again.

Nick raised his boot for another kick, and I quickly went to shield Iggy as best I could with the shackles on my hands and feet with my body.

"STOP!"

That was Dr Martinez. I could see they hadn't bothered to use shackles on her, simply binded her with rope. But for a regular human, that was more than enough.

Nick's foot paused in its descent.

"…Fine". His words were sharp and clipped, and he angrily swivelled round to the labs, pulling out many wires.

"Get over here Jimmy!" He roared. I flinched at his loud and murderous tone. "I hate those disgusting things more than anything on Earth. Wish we could just kill every single one, abominable, violations of nature…" He carried on muttering vile things about us underneath his breath, each one driving themselves into my brain. I shut my ears to his voice closing myself from his insults. I had heard them before, many times. Though that didn't exactly mean they didn't have the same effect, or that I'd gotten used to them.

I heard Jimmy say a faint "Sorry" To Dr Martinez, though I felt his eyes on us as he too neared the work tables.

I could hear Dr Martinez's heavy breathing coming from her corner.

"Someone key in the electricity." White coat Nick said. Jimmy nodded, and pulled a huge lever down, igniting the wire. You could actually see the sparks and bolts of electricity running down the wire, towards…

"N-n-" Was that… Fang?

I swivelled my head round to him, astounded.

"N-n-oo". He was getting up, and off of the floor (subsequently pulling Iggy and I up too) What was he doing? Was he trying to get us killed? Was he trying to _talk_?

"No. NO. _NO!" _His voice had risen to a scream, so powerful it shocked me. Fang was yelling, he was speaking, my Fang, the one I thought was mute… what was he yelling at?

I realised then too, but too late.

The 2000 volts of electricity was headed for the machine.

They were going to kill her…

Everything slowed down for a second.

You could see the white coats, working at the panels furiously, Fang, Iggy and I struggling with the chains and rope furiously, though all for nothing

All we could do was watch the electricity creep closer and closer to her… The only other avian human that we knew of, like us…

**BAM**

Screaming.

Screaming.

SCREAMING.

It was coming from that poor girl, in that metal machine, such a high pitched keen that it felt like it would break my ears.

The white coats all had mufflers on… did that mean they had done this before then? I felt sick.

I realised my mouth was open, I must be screaming too.

Fang and Iggy were beside me, yelling.

Then, the last huge spike of electricity. When it hit the container, it let off a huge light, so bright and white, everyone looked away, even Iggy, who wouldn't have been able to see it anyway.

But I just looked closer.

The light illuminated everything, so much so, everything was just white.

I thought I had gone blind for a second.

Then, I saw a shadow of something from behind the container, no, _in _the container.

It was a girl.

She was curled up into a little ball, her hands clutching her frizzy mane of hair.

I could see the shape of wings peeking out of her back.

It was over, everything had stopped.

The screaming.

The electricity.

For a time, nobody moved.

Then, the white coats removed the shades that were covering their eyes.

It seemed only I had seen the girl, how I could have been able to see _into _the machine I was at a loss to, but I definitely saw her.

"It's starting…" Whispered a white coat. (I wasn't paying enough attention to see who it was).

I looked back over to the machine to see what he was on about.

A bright blue light poured out of the machine, and it filled the room.

It was alive, and breath taking, almost like magic, the way it twisted and curled in the air.

Fang and Iggy were dumbstruck beside me. **(A/N Mainly Iggy though, because Fang rules! at Fiona Siona)**

"I can see… I can see the blue lights…" Breathed Iggy, his face full of wonder.

I was too enraptured to wonder how Iggy could see them if he was blind. They filled the room, and me, my body, my mind. The light seemed to reach into my heart, and take away the pain and sadness inside, leaving an inexplicable emotion inside. The bright blue light numbed and healed, crawling and expanding from my chest to the roots of my hair, the tips of my toes, and every last feather on my wings. I felt like I was soaring up, even though I wasn't even flying…

Who was this girl?

How could she make such… such… Magic?

Of course, the white coats destroyed it all.

"Quick! Somebody! The container unit!" Nick barked.

Jimmy hurried out and when he returned, he had with his person a huge black box, which he had to cart in it looked so heavy.

Almost immediately, the brilliant blue light seemed to be almost sucked into the box, and I felt strangely sad at the empty space it had left behind.

Iggy and Fang plopped down beside me; I must have slid down the wall without even realising it.

I felt wetness on my cheeks. I put up a hand somewhat awkwardly and wiped off the tears quickly. I didn't even know that I had been crying. I looked at the black box longingly, wanting the blue light to come back out and take away my pain and sorrow again.

Looking down at my hand, I thought I saw the faintest sliver of blue in one of the tears, but then it was gone, making me wonder if I had just imagined it.

"Th-tha-that…" Dr Martinez stuttered. I had forgotten she was even there.

"Yes, that was the power of N.U.D.G.E. Disgusting wasn't it?" Said Nick. He had removed his mufflers and was typing quickly onto a laptop.

I gaped at him. How could he say something like that was _disgusting_? And what more, he didn't even seem affected by the light in the slightest.

"Good thing that it is a great source of magnetism though. As long as it is contained, it acts as a very _very _strong magnet, pulls any metal in actually. We have very high bidders for it. Jimmy, get it carted, NOW! The deadline was two minutes ago!"

Jimmy gave a salute and began carting it out, giving Dr Martinez one more concerned look before heading for the door.

Nick turned to face us. "Now… what to do with you…"

"And… NOW!" Iggy shouted. Wait… what? What was he talking about-

There was no time to think. Fang had sprung to action too, ripping the rope out from round us. I saw Iggy tuck something sharp back into his pocket… It looked like a piece of metal? He must have been sawing us free that whole time while he was all curled up on the ground! But there were still the shackles to take care of.

Just as I thought that, Iggy felt for them and smeared some sort of gooey, green glowing substance around the links – Don't ask me where he had got it from. He then, of course produced a lighter. I gasped.

"Iggy, you're not going to –"

"NO!" Shouted Nick.

But I saw the flame get ever nearer to the green substance until…

A white, blinding light. I don't know how many times I'd seen one of those before.

The force of the explosion sent me reeling forwards, shackles and all still on my arms. The heat burned the hair on the back of my back right of, and I dreaded to think of my actual hair. I went sailing through the air, for what felt like an eternity to me – thinking about how it would _really _hurt when I landed, and the many ways in which I was going to KILL Iggy once this was over…

Wait a second! My wings!

Without hesitation, I immediately thrust them open from the back of my gown, wincing as the sudden air resistance yanked them back forcefully. And not a second too soon either – now that I had slowed down, I could see I was heading straight for the machine, or should I say, the box that held Nudge.

I managed to stop myself crashing headlong into it by using my feet to land on it, perpendicular to the floor for a moment, before pushing myself off and down, landing nimbly on my feet.

I looked over at the other side of the room (it was some distance away). From the smoke and dust cloud that had engulfed the room also arose Fang. I saw he had had the same idea that I had, as he was flying (properly flying with wings rather than just being thrown through the air), but sooner as he was flying steadily and not in danger of crashing into anything.

Iggy on the other hand…

I looked at Nudge's machine. It now had a huge dent in it, shaped like Iggy's head.

I winced for the girl inside, but not for Iggy. He deserved it anyway.

I felt my hair, and gasped. The bottom half was completely singed and burnt off. I gave it a yank and saw it just completely fall off. I gaped at the blackened hair on the ground. Okay, he _definitely _deserved it.

"WAHOOO! That'll teach you to try and tie up the explosives man!" Iggy had picked himself off of the ground and was punching the air. "Awesome Iggy. Your best invention yet!" He looked very proud of himself.

I shot Fang a look, who was coming to a land next to me that expressed 'Why is he with us?'

Fang just shrugged, and gave me a look that said 'He _did _just save us'.

"And almost killing us in the process. Not the best escape plan". Fang just shrugged again.

There was a moan coming from the dust cloud.

"Oh no, Dr Martinez!" I cried, starting to run towards her corner, which I couldn't see from all the debris.

"I'm fine you guys, just get out of here! I think Nick and Jimmy are both down, you need to get out now, while you still can!" Her voice was weak, but clear.

Fang and I nodded, and started to make our way out. My head actually felt a lot lighter without the weight of all my long hair attached to it. It would definitely be a lot better for fights. Maybe short hair wasn't so bad after all, I might actually continue to cut it like this.

After a couple of steps forward, I turned round, realising Iggy wasn't with us. "Come on Iggy, we need to go! NOW!"

He remained standing there, looking in the direction of the machine. "No… I need to find her. I need to get her out. It was the whole point of us coming here. You two go ahead, and I'll catch up. But I'm not coming until I've got Nudge".

"This is stupid Iggy, I'm not letting you-"  
>"You saw what they did – <em>do <em>to her! How am I just supposed to leave her here? So she can _die _in there?"

"But…"

"No." Was that… Fang? I spun round to face him. "No." This time it was a little clearer. I stared at him, then jumped startled when he suddenly grabbed hold of my wrist.

I frowned. I thought Fang was saying no… saying no to Iggy, that he couldn't stay and try to get Nudge out – it was too dangerous. But then I realised that he was saying no to _me. _That I should let Iggy stay – he was tugging on my hand, leading us towards the door. I stumbled after him, confused. I thought Fang always sided with me…?

"Thanks Fang. I owe you one".

I sent Iggy a tortured glance, but of course he couldn't see it. He had already turned round and was ripping wires and machinery out of Nudge's big black metal prison.

"Wait… I…" But then we heard footsteps.

"What in God's name has happened here…?" Asked a white coat quietly, from outside.

It was only then that I realised that all the dust and debris were actually bricks – Iggy had actually gone and blown open the entire wall?! Fang's loose grip was now like iron, and he started to pull me forward, through the gaping gap. I caught a glimpse of Dr Martinez while passing. She looked fine, a little dusty, but unhurt, still bound by the rope. The two white coats however, I couldn't say the same for. Nick's leg was bent at an awkward angle, and there was something dark seeping from his head… was it… blood? We also passed Jimmy's unconscious body. How did we even survive that explosion?

Fang was already pulling me down corridors, leaving that white room behind, going the opposite way as to the footsteps.

The only problem was… we didn't know where we were going, or where we were at all.

The many footsteps faded after a while.

And then they started up again, louder than before, and we could hear voices too.

"Escapees!"

"Mutants out in the corridors!"

"We need to call the Erasers out!"

We ran down another corridor, through a room, down another one, but then we heard voices again.

Backing up, we sprinted the other way for a few seconds, but we encountered footsteps again.

Fang checked a couple of doors, rattling them angrily, but they were all metal doors, and securely locked.

We were trapped.

"_Look down". _

"Huh? What? Fang, did you say something?"

Fang just shot me a look that asked if I was crazy, and for me to shut up simultaneously. I would have laughed at it, if we weren't in such dire circumstances.

"_Underneath the mat, look down"._

Again, I looked all around for the voice. Was it the white coats? No, but they were getting closer…

It sounded like… well like… it was coming from inside… inside my head?

I think Iggy's explosion has damaged my brain.

"Okay little voice". I whispered. Fang looked at me like I really was crazy. (Who knows? I probably am).

But it couldn't hurt to do what it says. I was so desperate right now, that I would follow about anything.

So I looked down at the tiled floor and saw that there was indeed a rug just lying there. It was white, and so blended in quite nicely, but still, it was strange. It wasn't as if the School was exactly homely.

I peered underneath, then gasped.

"Look Fang! A trap door!" I pulled the rug completely off and yanked it open. It seemed like something out of a spy movie – what was the School thinking when they decided to include trap doors in the blue prints?

Fang shot me another look that read 'How the hell did you know that was there?'

But we had no time, the white coats were on to us.

Fang jumped first then me. I made sure to shut it, and pull the rug over it before letting go and dropping.

We landed in another corridor.

Only problem? It was filled with Erasers.

**A/N Okay, seriously sorry for not updating in over three months! Please forgive me . I'm not even gonna try and make excuses, but I was **_**really **_**busy :/**

**But I hope to make up for it with this extra long chapter – this one took ages to write, so I hope you enjoyed it! Don't worry, Iggy won't get captured or anything, and I'm sure you guys hate that Max and Fang just sort of left him behind… but I really needed to get this story moving and introduce some more of the flock members ;) **

**Don't ask me what the blue light was, I'll explain it all later **

**Anyways, review please?**

**10+ - I'll update today!**

**8 -I'll update tomorrow**

**6 - I'll update in a week**

**4 - I'll update in a month**

**2 - I'll update in a year**

**0 - …Never?**

**AnonymousAutherx**


	12. New Powers

**A/N Disclaimer: You know, I've never ever actually done a disclaimer before, because I've always thought of them as pretty pointless. It's obvious that I don't own MR, right? (Cause if I did I wouldn't be sitting here in front of this computer typing but instead spending all the wonderful money from my books. ;)) But here goes; all characters and Maximum Ride (story basis) goes to JP :P**

**Chapter 12: New Powers**

"Uh oh…" I stared wide eyed at the surrounding Erasers.

Fang thumped me none to lightly in the side, which basically translates to;

"Now look at what you've done! Just lead us right into something _way _worse, well done you idiot!"

I wanted to shout back that it was the voice that told me to do it… I don't know, it just sounded trustworthy and innocent, the tone of it, plus I was really desperate to get away from the approaching white coats. Why did it lead us into a trap anyways?

Urgh, I should quit thinking this, it was probably my subconscious or something. (Hearing voices, having dreams about the future… okay, this wasn't even weird now, it was creepy weird – this stuff is basically unheard of, even for a mutant!) Though… how could I have known about the trap door though...?

While I was standing there, trying to sort out the thoughts in my head, something stomped on my foot. "OUCH!" I turned to glare at Fang. "What was that for, you –"

Then I realised that while I was off in my own little world, the Erasers had launched into play and started throwing punches. Fang was trying to get shots back at them, and also protect me at the same time, seeing as I was stationary. He'd stomped on my foot to get my attention. I was momentarily awestruck at how I could have missed such big going ons - how could I have not realised I was in the middle of a big fray here? Something was very wrong with my head.

Then I jumped into action, trying to desperately make up for my blank mindedness back there. Standing back to back, Fang and I dodged and kicked, acting as one body. I was surprised at how well we moved together in combat.

Catching my eye, Fang motioned to the left, towards a staircase that I only just realised was there. I nodded, and slowly, we began to move the crowd in that direction, by directing the punches and kicks there.

By the time we had reached the staircase, we were trapped. With the railings at our backs, and Erasers left right and centre, we were as good as gone.

"Now what?" I hissed at Fang. I was panting, and lifted my arm to wipe some sweat off of my brow. I could feel Fang's shoulders heave up and down, as we both calculated the looks on the Erasers faces. They were hesitating at the moment, probably savouring the fact that they'd caught us – like spiders in a web.

Fang turned me around so we could see each other face to face. I searched his eyes, wondering what he had up his sleeve now. And what I found in his expression was something I didn't like. Something I _really _didn't like.

He had on a look that said please, please don't kill me later.

At that moment, I realised that the railings of the staircase we were standing against? They were the very same ones that we'd climbed up – you know, _the ones where you can't actually see the bottom. _

"Oh no. Oh no you don't. Don't you da-"

But Fang had already pulled me tightly into his arms, so strong that they may as well have been bars of steel, and he looked down at me for a second.

He mouthed 'I'm sorry'.

And then he-

Pulled us over the railing.

My mouth was frozen shut, my body stiff. We were definitely falling, because I could feel the sensation of inertia – I'd lost my stomach, left it behind with the Erasers. And it was getting more bottomless the further we dropped. So we were definitely falling.

We were falling.

We were FALLING.

"FAAAAANG! WHATT ARE YOU DOIIIINNGGG? WE'RE GONNAAA DIEEE WE'REE GONNA –" At that point, I gave up on trying to scream talk, I just screamed. Screamed for all I was worth.

I grabbed fistfuls of his front and buried my head in his chest, feeling the terrifying sensation of just dropping through air, not knowing when we would hit the ground, but bracing myself for it.

This was nothing like jumping out of aeroplanes or even bungee jumping. Here, there was nothing to stop us from hitting the ground full force, no feeling of safety that you know there's a parachute waiting for you, attached to your back.

This was just Fang and I, sailing through the air, knowing that we were going to our deaths.

To be honest? Over this and Erasers? I'd take the latter any day.

I couldn't look down, to see the ground rushing towards me, which is why I had buried my head against Fang. Though I tried to brace myself, for the incoming impact…

Because Fang knew, and I knew, that the space was just too small to even open your wings fully (with our huge wingspan) much less fly.

So there was no way we were getting out of this alive.

'_SCREEEEEECH' _

A terrible sound, and it just wasn't stopping. What was happening? It was coming from somewhere near me. Something fluttered near my face.

It felt like a feather. Cautiously, I stopped screaming and turned my head. It was a feather. A silky black feather.

It could only belong to one person.

In horror, I raised my head.

And couldn't speak.

Fang. He was… he had…

Some blood splattered onto my face, but I couldn't stop watching.

Fang's face was pale, so pale he might as well have been dead, and he must have wished he was, the amount of agony I'm sure he was in.

He never once, made a sound – of course he didn't, he never did, not even a gasp of pain. Forever suffering. Always alone.

In my head, I screamed for him to stop to quit whatever he was doing and just let us drop. But the words lodged in my throat and wouldn't come out no matter how hard I

Sure enough, we were slowing down, rapidly. Fang's head dropped onto my hair.

I still couldn't speak. I felt like my throat and lungs had disappeared.

We were about two meters down now. So Fang released the walls, and we fell down to the ground in a loud thump, bunches of feathers fluttering all around us.

I looked at his face, still unable to say anything. But I was aware of how my body was shaking, shuddering. My eyes were large and I couldn't help and do anything but stare.

In his agony, Fang still managed to pull together an expression that said 'You've got quite a pair of lungs on you, you know'.

Drip.

Drop.

Two tears.

Splashed onto his nose.

Then trickled down to his hair.

There was a frown on his face now. It said 'Don't cry'.

He pulled up a shaky arm and touched my face, softly, wiping away the salt and water with his fingertips.

Then he let it drop back to his side, and closed his eyes, exhaustedly.

It was only then that I let out a big breath. Was I holding it in all this time?

Fang. He'd actually…

The blood had started to pool around us, seeping onto the floor. This reminded me of that day in that pen… I clutched the fang around my neck.

The full realisation of what had happened suddenly came back. I was almost knocked to the floor by the largeness of it. Just like that, I could breathe, speak again.

I took in a ragged breath. "Why… why must you always have to go to such lengths to protect me? _Why_?"

And then I was sobbing openly, clutching his unconscious body, crying my eyes and heart out. Somewhere deep inside, something asked 'I thought you had no more tears to cry?'

"But there will always, _always _be more tears" I gasped. "When it comes to Fang".

Then I kneeled over and hugged the person on my lap, and I keened.

Keened for his beautiful black wings.

Because they were now ruined.

He'd ruined them by stretching them out in that narrow space, knowing full well the repercussions of what would happen, knowing that the friction from the walls would completely destroy them.

But knowing that it was the only way of saving us.

I wanted to hit him. Why couldn't it have been me? Better yet, why did you even throw us over in the first place? We could've handled the Erasers! It didn't mean that you had to… Fresh sobs broke out of my mouth again. I hated him for doing it to himself, but more than that, I hated myself for letting it happen. Why didn't I stop him? Why couldn't I stop him?

"I'm sorry, so sorry Fang… so sorry… sorry…"

I was bombarded with flashes of images – Fang and I up until now, us in the cages side by side, morning and night… How I'd talk nonstop to him, though he never said a word… and the way his eyes sparkled when I told him what it was like to fly –

I stopped crying for a second, my eyes wide.

That's right; I don't think Fang's ever properly flown out in the open before… And now he never will.

I bowed my head again.

'_Get yourself together! Can't you see that he's losing a lot of blood here? If you don't act soon, Fang'll be losing a lot more than just his wings…_'

I jerked up and started hyperventilating. Yes, what was I doing, sitting here crying over him like some petty girl? I need to get him help; I need to get a white coat or something…

My chest ached with the thought of parting with him again.

"No, no no… This can't be happening… not again! Not again!" As the fury and hopelessness, not to mention despair and sadness, built up in me, I felt something else too. Something very strange. It was undistinguishable, and something I've never ever felt before.

This wasn't an emotion, this felt almost alien, like this… _sensation _didn't belong to me.

It carried on growing larger and larger in my chest until…

I felt very sure all of a sudden. More sure of this than anything else in my entire life. I placed my hands very gently, and, trying to control my shaking, carefully over each wing. I had no idea what I was doing, and I'm sure I looked very comical in the moment, but I just sort of… let the feeling build up inside of me until I was fit to burst with it.

And then it just… spilled out.

A bright white light. It looked so much like Nudge's blue light yet it was also so very different. But they were essentially the same thing, to me.

The light flowed, it danced, and it glimmered. It was like it was alive and it was breath taking. This was… this was coming out of me?

And, right before my eyes, I saw it enter Fang's ripped and shredded wings, wrap itself around the structure.

Bones clicked back into place. Torn muscle and flesh were reknitted. And brand new black feathers grew at an amazing speed, until they were the same size and shape as they were before.

It was like Fang had suddenly grown a new pair of wings.

…I think my throat had disappeared again.

The white light wrapped itself around Fang and I once more, as if giving us a hug, before it completely vanished, just like that.

The sudden departure left my brain a tip. Did that just happen? What did I just do? Again like before, I felt a sadness and yearning for it to come back.

Stroking Fang's repaired midnight wings, I smiled softly at myself. I would figure this all out later. Right now… I was just _so _relieved.

I sighed, reaching to wipe away my tears.

"Say, Sam, wanna get something to…"

I stiffened. White coats. White coats! I'd completely forgotten about them. Actually, it was a miracle that none had come by sooner. What was I going to do?

I quickly surveyed the surroundings, grimacing at how much blood and feathers there was on the floor, and looking up at the two very long streaks of blood down the walls, inside the railing.

There was no time to clean this up. We needed to get out. NOW.

Biting my lip, I grabbed Fang by the arms and proceeded to drag him as fast as I could with as little noise as possible towards the nearest exit, or some sort of room to hide. It was rather difficult actually, - despite his lean figure, he was actually really heavy. Or was that just the extra weight of his wings? He was leaving a trail of blood behind him, and I had to hurry to scrub those out while pulling him along. 

I successfully found a broom closet none too far away, and opened it, thanking God that it wasn't locked – all the while they were getting closer, and my heart was in my mouth.

But then I was in, and a second later, so was Fang, and the door had clicked shut. I allowed myself to exhale, but didn't move a muscle.

Sure enough, not a moment later…

"HOLY CRAP –"  
>"WHAT THE—WHAT HAPPENED HERE?!"<p>

I grimaced and leaned Fang against one of the large brooms. However, this motion caused him to wake up, and blink at our surroundings (we were covered in mops and all) I hurriedly put a finger to his lips to shush him (which was probably pointless now I think about it…)

We both waited in silence and with baited breath before we heard the two footsteps run and fade away – no doubt in order to get back up.

I then carefully cracked the door open a notch, peeking out quickly to check for any people roaming the doorway before fully opening it and stepping out.

"Fang, it's okay to come out now, there's –"

I stopped at his expression. The mask seemed to be forgotten, and he was studying his wings in awe and wonder.

He raised his head towards me, his head inclined as if to say "How did you…?" 

I grinned, taking his hand and yanking him up and on his feet. "I'll explain along the way, we need to get going before the white coats get back… You can walk, right?"

At his affirming nod, we took off at a fast paced jog towards the direction of our room (the fall from the stairs seemed to end at our level, thankfully enough, and I knew the corridors very well from here on out). I spoke rapidly as we ran, describing the light and sensation I got as it happened.

Fang's expression didn't change, though I saw him repeatedly touch his wings every now and then, as if to feel that they were still there and not half burned from friction/ ripped off. I think also because he had a little trouble believing what had just happened.

Heck, I was the one who did it, and I had trouble believing it. For mutants to have developed strange abilities was not unheard of, take Nudge for example, with her magnetism. But still, magnetism had scientific basis, whereas this… I couldn't find any rational explanation as to how it worked… how it could happen.

If I didn't know better, I would say that

"_It was magic"._

I halted suddenly at the voice – it was the same one! Just as I started to speak back at it inside my head, our door popped into sight.

Fang got there first, not even bothering to try the door knob (probably locked), he just banged on the door loudly.

There was a pregnant pause in which I started to worry that no one was inside (whatever happened to Iggy, Nudge and Dr Martinez anyway?) and we'd be locked out in the dangerous corridor.

But a face appeared at the window.

It was Dr Martinez, her face still painted white from all the dust and plaster gathered from the explosion. Her face relaxed at the sight of us, and there was a quick jangle of keys, but then she was pushing us through and we had stumbled back into the little black room once more.

"Iggy!" He was the first thing I saw and looked relatively safe and unharmed. I ran towards him, and he span around, arms wide, expecting a hug.

THWACK

"Oowwww! What was that for?!"

"For almost killing us with that explosion you big idiot! Where do you get all that explosive material anyways?" Then my face relaxed, unable to contain my relief anymore. "But I'm glad you're alright". And I gave him a hug, squeezing him tight. His arms came round me reluctantly, hugging me back.

"I was until you thumped me in the head. You know that's the third blow today? What with that white coat Nick and me crashing into the machine…" He drew back. I had the heart to look a little ashamed, though Iggy just grinned at me and ruffled my hair. That's right, my _hair_! The little twerp singed most of it off!

"Heh heh… Y'know I'm sorry about that…" He retreated at my murderous glare.

"Fang my man!" He started towards Fang's direction. "Glad to see you two are okay too!"

He held his fist out to bump.

And waited.

And waited.

Fang looked at it emotionlessly, giving no sign that he was ever going to 'Fist bump' Iggy.

I had a very big desire to laugh in that moment.

"Yeah…" Ruffling his hair to dispel the awkward moment he'd created, Iggy spoke again. "I'm surprised you two haven't noticed already. I didn't come back empty handed you know".

My eyes widened. Fang had already started to look round the room.

"Iggy you didn't…"

She was huddled in a corner, so small and tiny that I'd barely noticed her at all; she seemed to have melted into the wall.

She'd made no sound since we'd entered, and something told me that she wouldn't be for a while at least. I hadn't seen her face yet, but the corkscrew curls and tawny wings told me all I needed to know.

"That's her". I whispered. "The one in my dream". Fang and Iggy stiffened simultaneously.

But I was sure, just as sure as when that light poured out of me, that this was one of the girls in my dream.

She was finally here.

Nudge.

**A/N So yeah… Max has healing powers? I know that one sounds like it was just kinda randomly thrown in, but it has its big use later along in the story – it also goes away before the end (you can ask but I won't answer ;)) **

**So I know the story is turning a bit AU now, but just stick with me? **

**Anyways, I'm actually in Belgium at the moment, on holiday so this is actually how much I wanted to update ;) all for you my dear readers!**

**So yeah… review? **

**10+ - I'll update today!**

**8 -I'll update tomorrow**

**6 - I'll update in a week**

**4 - I'll update in a month**

**2 - I'll update in a year**

**0 - …Never?**

**AnonymousAutherx**


	13. My Identity

**Chapter 13: My Identity**

I never thought that I would find a person as quiet and silent as Fang, until I met Nudge.

Three days it has been already, and not one word. Iggy and I took it in turns to try to talk to her, to get some sort of response, heck even Fang went over once or twice.

I gave up on the second day, but Iggy still wasn't letting up. I don't know what it was with him, but he seemed to be oddly protective of the girl.

Dr Martinez had advised to just let her be for now – what with all the trauma she'd been through, but of course, Iggy paid her no heed. She'd eventually gone after a while, saying she needed to sort things out (after all, we had just busted open a wall and stolen one of the top and most protected experiments in the School. Not to mention Fang's little stunt by the stair well. I honestly had no idea how she was going to pull this one off, though I did know that Iggy definitely wasn't going to give Nudge up). A question occurred to me.

"How exactly did you get Nudge to come with?" I wondered, shooting another worried look at her.

"Well… I kinda… set a bomb on the machine".

"WHAT?! Iggy! That could've seriously hurt Nudge you know!"

"Well I didn't actually know she was inside the machine until after I'd blasted a hole in it… wait a second, how did _you_ know about it?"

Sighing, I quickly explained about how I was able to see inside the machine with the blue light. Fang just looked at me weirdly again. Okay, I knew he was still freaked out about my healing mumba jumba, but did he seriously have to look at me in that way?

"Yo, you two alright…? You seem kinda… Off…"

"We're fine, perfectly fine as you can see". I grinned at Iggy, shooting a deft look at Fang. I didn't know why I felt like I shouldn't tell Iggy about it, but something said it was wrong to talk about it. I still couldn't believe what had happened myself, but being a mutant experiment, you learned to take these things as they came. Like growing wings for example.

I had more pressing matters at the moment in any case; like Nudge.

"So. Still no luck with –" I motioned at Nudge, who hadn't moved from the fetal position once. She had her hands over her eyes like she couldn't stand to be in the light and was facing away from us.

"She really scared me, you know". Iggy began in a soft voice. "When I blew open the machine and saw her just curled up in there not moving, I thought I'd killed her. And then there were all of these wires coming from her body…" He shuddered.

My eyes drifted to her once again, and this time they picked out little marks which I had thought to be cuts from the blast of the explosion. But when I looked closer, I could see they were perfect round little holes, the perfect size for a slim wire to go inside. They were scattered all down her arms and god knows where else. I felt like vomiting.

"And then when I picked her up and felt for a pulse, she was just limp in my arms like a doll. It was terrible".

"Then what did you do?" I whispered.

"Ran, of course. Dr M helped me take all the wires out from her and I just sprinted for all I was worth, back here. I didn't see where Dr Martinez went till she came back here, but the corridors were oddly empty, like there was no one here at all". The last comment puzzled me. So what about the ton of Erasers that me and Fang had to face? Where did they all go? That didn't sound right at all.

Dr Martinez came back around and told me everything was sorted now, and Nudge was allowed to stay. (In the back of my mind that also didn't make sense – how in hell did she manage to convince all the people to let her stay? The School didn't work like that.) But I was too tired to argue, and she had food, so after gobbling half down – pushing the other half to Nudge though I was sure she probably wouldn't eat it – we all stacked fists and settled down to sleep. My wings made a rather comfy blanket.

I bolted upright. The sun was just rising in our small window, so I guessed it was maybe early morning.

Looking over at Nudge, it seemed she was asleep, but with her not moving once, it was hard to tell. The left overs of last night remained untouched on her plate.

Staring at her, I could tell she was rather quite pretty – well, under the dirt and scars that is. She was dressed in the same hospital gown as I was in, and her frizzy hair stuck out in a kind of lions mane all around her head. Staring at her face made me remember what had happened. The screaming, Iggy and Fang shouting.

Iggy and Fang shouting.

Fang shouting.

Shouting.

Speaking.

.

.

.

"_OH MY GOD!"_

"Where's the Eraser, where?!" Iggy sprang up shouting, bombs in hand.

Fang also was on his feet, glancing all around. From the corner of my eye I saw Nudge stiffen ever so slightly.

But my eyes were on Fang. How could I have forgotten? How could Iggy have forgotten? (Okay, to be honest, there was a lot of stuff going on, but this was _big_. Fang spoke, no, _shouted_.

"You-y-you –" I was staring wide eyed at Fang, who raised his eyebrows at me, now completely composed seeing as there were no actual Erasers in the room.

"Oi, can someone please explain what the heck is going on? Why were you screaming?" Iggy shouted, bombs poised to throw.

"It's –it's Fang!"

"_What about him_? You all keep forgetting I'm _blind_!"

"Yes. Blind. Not deaf. Fang. He SPOKE".

"What? No he didn-" Iggy stopped in the middle of his sentence. A look of incredulous shock raced across his face. A bomb actually slipped from one of his hands, though Fang, skilful as ever, nicked it from the air just before it touched the floor.

"He… he did, didn't he…"

As one, we turned our intense stares to Fang. (Well, Iggy just looked in his general direction).

Who shrugged.

"You can't just shrug at that! Say something – anything!"

He shook his head.

"Are you saying you can't? Come on, you must be able to – this proves you aren't a mute! You've been holding back this whole time on us, haven't you! Why wouldn't you ever say anything?"

Fang's face didn't change, but I could see a crease mark appear between his eyebrows as he tried to speak.

"I…"

We all waited with baited breath.

But Fang shook his head again and turned away from us. I started to get frustrated. Why couldn't Fang speak? It was obvious he could now, so… why? I opened my mouth, but before I could say what I wanted to say, Iggy grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to a corner.

Lowering his voice down to a hiss, he whispered to me.

"Look, I don't think Fang can actually speak".

"What? But –"  
>"I know, yes he said something". He smoothly cut over me. "I think he <em>used <em>to be able to speak, but now he can't. We might never know, but I have a funny feeling that maybe a white coat is involved somewhere along the lines. There are different types of reacting to trauma, you know." I glanced at Nudge. I could see what he meant now.

"So basically… you're saying… that by not talking, that's Fang's way of dealing with his life? By keeping it inside?" I stared at Fang, who still had his back turned, and was giving no indication that he could hear what we were saying.

"But that's… that's" I suddenly remembered, back before I was put in that cage with Fang, how I hadn't opened my eyes in days, not wanting to see anymore, all the cruelty that was happening to me. Wasn't this basically the same?

"So he's forgotten". I said it as a statement, not a question.

Iggy nodded. "That's what I think".

"Okay… thank you".

I started to pace towards Fang slowly.

"Fang… I'm sorry about what I said… I was stupid and mad. Please forgive me?" I waited for a full minute before he turned around and nodded at me, showing his forgiveness.

I beamed at him, regretting my words, as Iggy came up to us.

"I still think you should try saying things though. After all, you don't need to be all closed up now – you've got us". Iggy said meaningfully.

Glancing at each and every one of our faces, even Nudge, who had lifted her head and was watching now (I wonder when she had become adjusted to us..?), he finally nodded once.

Iggy and I exchanged wide grins and I was first to speak up.

"I know what you could say! My EN – y'know, experimental number? M0076123RCS"

Okay, I wanted Fang to say something, but the reason why I wanted him to say my lab name first was… well it was something I would never ever admit to anyone. I kinda really wanted my name to be his first proper word. Well, it was the closest to a resemblance of a name that I had, and I wanted to be _something_ to him – instead of 'just that girl'.

It took a very long time for him to even work up the courage to open his mouth again. In the end, I made Iggy go try talk to Nudge so that it could just be Fang and I – I had a feeling he was more comfortable with less eyes on him. (Well, Iggy can't see, but it still counts).

'Come on, one more time – M0076123RCS'.

'Mmmmm' He strained. 'Mmmmrrr'.

'Okay, how about just the letters, not the numbers? That'll be shorter. Repeat after me: M R C S'.

'Mmmmaaar'.

'That's it! Come on, just a few more letters' I encouraged.

'Mmmmaaarrrcccsssss'. He tried out the letters on his tongue, the way they felt and sounded.

'Marcs?'

'Maaarrrxxx'.

'Marx?'

'Mmmmax!' His face was strained with concentration. 'Max!'

'Max? What does Max mean?'

'Max!' He pointed at me, then pointed to the fang, and to himself.

I cocked my head, not understanding. What was he trying to say? Wait, I named him after the Fang he gave me, so was he… I was… Max?

A name. An identity. Is that what it was?

Something that tied me to the Earth, something that made me just a little bit more human and not just an experiment

Max.

It was short, strong and to the point. I found myself liking it, actually, anything was better than a random string of letters and numbers, but it seemed very… suitable for me.

'Max'. I tasted it out. It sounded right.

Fang nodded, giving me the slightest twitch of the lips.

"What's this to do with a Max? I thought you were teaching him how to say your lab name". Iggy plopped himself next to me, evidently he'd given up on Nudge for the moment.

"Not _a _Max. Max. Pleased to meet you, Iggy".

"Pleased to meet you too- Huh? Wait, why are we exchanging pleasantries?"

I laughed while Fang rolled his eyes.

"It's my name. Like it?"

**A/N Anyone notice how they both named each other? Gotta love the mini flock, they're just so cute ;) Review please? I send anyone who does a preview of the next chapter, I'm telling you, you're gonna be sooo shocked…**

**AnonymousAutherx**


	14. Little Doll

**A/N Okay, so those of you who reviewed (THANKS BTW :D) will have gotten the preview as promised (sorry if I accidentally sent some of you it twice or something, it got really confusing :S) And were freaking out with the cliff-hanger I left you, so, with no further ado…**

Chapter 14: Little Doll

A few hours had passed since Fang's newly discovered voice, and my newly discovered name. Of course, both Iggy and I were now trying to teach Fang some new words, maybe something simpler this time.

"Say Iggy".

"Max".

"Say _Iggy_".

"Max".

"Iggy. I-G-G-Y".

"Max".

"IGGY!"

"…Max".

"Oh quit it, would you? It's obvious that he's not going to say your name". I snarked at Iggy, smirking at him.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you? I can hear it in your voice, you are, you _are_."

"Hey, it's not my fault that all Fang can say right now is my voice, right Fang?"

"Max". He nodded.

"You - he - the two of you are just impossible!" Gripping his hair, Iggy strode away from us to stand on the other end of the room.

I stuck my tongue out at him before turning to smile at Fang.

"Max".

"…Yup?"

"Max".

Okay… Now it was starting to get a little irritating.

"Yeah, you keep saying that, Fang. Let me know when you're ready to learn another word, would you?" 

"Max". I'd take that as a yes.

Time ticked by with nothing in particular happening.

It was nice for a change - just being able to fiddle with my fang while lying on my side and facing the window. It was nice how I could just relax, even for just a second. But why did I have a feeling that it wasn't going to last?

"Max".

I blinked at Fang, but he just stared expressionlessly back at me. I glanced around the room. Iggy was snoring in a corner, so if he didn't just say that then…

Am I imagining things? There aren't any other people in… Wait a minute.

I swivelled round to stare at Nudge.

She was…

She was getting up unsteadily to her feet, clutching the wall with her hands so tight I was actually worried for the plaster.

"Nudge..?"

Iggy was now awake, listening intently.

Fang had sat bolt upright, his dark eyes intense.

She took a shaky step, her face down so low that her frizzy hair covered most of it, the bottom half cast in shadow. Was she trying to get up?

Taking another, wobbling and almost falling over, she continued towards me.

"Max".

"Nudge?" I said worriedly. "Take it easy okay?"

"Max".

I was starting to get a little freaked out by now. What the heck was happening?

"Nudge… Nudge? NUDGE!"

"Max. Goodbye".

Then she lunged for my throat.

Owwwww.

Owee ow owwwww.

Ouch.

OUCH.

My neck was throbbing. Literally, throbbing – I was sure that if I were to open my eyes, there would be some sort of pulsing purple vein there or something… very nice. Why did the whole of my body have to feel so _sore_? I should have seen this coming, what with my supposedly psychic dreams and all. Well, I had my time of rest, welcome back Max, to the world of the mutants. Where experiments scar your body and white coats beat you up.

Darkness. Was all I could see from behind my eyelids. The smell of metal and the twinge of cold in the air. But warm was on my face. It was coming and going, like someone slowly inhaling and exhaling. Like… somebody breathing?

Warm breath?

I opened my eyes, very slowly.

For a second, I could see nothing, until my eyes adjusted to the darkness.

…Tan skin?

A human face. Very close to mine.

My eyes widened until the size of saucers, and I immediately leapt away so quickly that I banged my head on the top of something hard and metal. It clanged loudly.

Turning away from Fang, I looked around before realising, with a sudden drooping sensation, that I was back in my cage. Okay, it was bigger – enough to fit two mutant bird kids in, but still, nevertheless, a cage.

I had certainly taken our small black room for granted; now I was back in this claustrophobic enclosure. It made the room seem infinitely big compared to this.

The sound of my head connecting with the roof had woken Fang up.

He rose slowly, unlike me, tilting his head all around to take in our surroundings before coming to rest on me. Or, more specifically, my throat.

Looking down at it, I could see why he was staring now.

It was covered in thick gauze and so thick that I could barely turn my head. What the heck happened to me?

Looking back, I could barely remember anything – how long had I been knocked out – why was I in a cage suddenly – where were Iggy and Nudge…

Nudge.

Hands.

Coming to strangle me.

Unconsciously, my own hands came up to my neck, as if to try and protect it again.

"Fang… what the heck _happened_?"

I saw him gulp ever so slightly.

"She tried to kill you, Max".

A voice came out of the darkness, beyond our cage.

I looked around hectically, trying to identify it, before coming to rest on a familiar mop of strawberry blonde hair.

"…Iggy?"

"The one and only". He replied grimly.

"Anyway, what did you mean she tried to kill me? I only remember… hands…" I shuddered.

"Maybe you should ask her that yourself".

I banged my head on the roof again, and I felt Fang jolt beside me.

"_What_?"

"You heard me. _Listen_".

Now that he said it, I could hear a low muttering sound, like someone mumbling gibberish under their breath.

Was that…

I felt Fang draw me back ever so slightly behind him. I pushed his hand away, not wanting to feel inferior, but inside, I was quaking.

I could clearly feel the bruise marks on my neck now.

There was something very wrong with that girl.

"Don't worry, Max, she's in another cage all by herself, and at the very back of the room. And it's made of steel, so she won't be able to break out. But there's something different about her, I don't know what it is, I can just feel it…"

"What?! Don't go defending her, she tried to _kill _me!" 

"Yes, I know, but I'm just saying. And it's just a hunch, and usually my hunches are correct, you should know that by now. Anyways, you're not dead, are you? It's a good thing you had Fang and I to pull her off of you, she's got quite a grip. Shame Fang had to go and get hurt in the process though".

"_What_?" I repeated again, only louder this time.

I swivelled round to face Fang, checking him up and down for signs of injuries. Iggy was right; he had a nasty looking gash on the side of his face, which was hidden by his long hair – the reason why I hadn't spotted it before.

"How did this happen?" I demanded softly.

"Well… even after we pulled her off you, she was still swiping and everything. Like a rabid animal, I tell you. And seeing as you fell unconscious, you were wide open, so Fang had to act like a shield. I've never seen nails so sharp, I'll tell you now".

"Oh… Ohmigod, Fang! I'm so so sorry, this is my entire fault! If I hadn't had fallen unconscious in the first place like a weakling…"  
>"I think it's fair to say that most of the blame should go on Nudge". Iggy interrupted.<p>

Fang gave a little discreet nod, which didn't make me feel any better.

"Anyways, she's been like that ever since, I dunno what happened to her, but after her sudden escapade, it's like something –"

But Iggy never got to finish his sentence, because, right at that moment, a white coat walked in.

Flicking the lights on, she glanced around the room. I squinted for a second, my eyes refocusing at the sudden brightness.

"Glad to see you're all up and rearing to go". She peered at me. "You too. Had a little brawl with one of your other little birdies? God, you're all such animals".

She sneered in disgust.

"Right then, out of your cages, we've got tests to run". Snapping her fingers, a few Erasers loped into the room and started to unlock the cages, hauling us out by their hairy hands.

"Wait, I …" I shot a hasty look at Nudge, my heart beating fast. Without the safety of the steel bars, who knew what she could pull again?  
>"Worried about your fellow mutant? Not to worry, it shouldn't happen again. If it does… I'm sure you can cope with it". Chuckling sadistically, she wandered out of the room again, twirling the keys around her fingers, the Erasers following behind, making sure to bare their teeth at us as they passed, one scratching a nail down Iggy's arms, drawing blood.<p>

"And a few of my colleagues will be coming in a few hours to send you to the experimentation rooms. I hope you're all ready. You know what's coming".

Her silvery hair vanished behind the frame.

I heard the distinct sound of her locking us in.

Slowly, we all turned to look at Nudge. But she was still curled up on the spot the Erasers dropped her, muttering nonsense.

Iggy slinked closer to Fang and I, putting a few yards between himself and Nudge.

A few minutes ticked by, and she made no move to get up, nor stop her talking.

I don't know what it was, but there was something different about her.

But the more I looked at her, the more pitiful I felt, and less scared of what she had done. There was no menace in her anymore, if that were possible.

After all, she looked to be only a six year old, small and fragile against the cold hospital floors. And her voice had a weakness to it, the gibberish starting to form phrases in my mind.

"Help me… Mummy… Where am I… why is it so cold…"

The maternal side to me started to kick in, and I started to walk towards her, though not before Iggy pulled me back.

"Max, what do you think you're trying to do?" He hissed in my ear.

"But… well… look at her! Does she look dangerous to you?"

"Are you saying you've forgotten the past 48 hours?!"

"_No_! Just… I know what I'm doing Iggy! And she won't catch me off guard this time, I promise". Yanking my arm out of his grip, I saw his face and burns twist up in indecision.

"You're crazy, you know that right? Even crazier than the rest of us".

I fixed him with a glare.

"I thought we agreed that I was going to be the leader? And I am. This is my decision, and I'll pay for the consequences".

"But…"

I gave him a hard stare which I knew he couldn't see, but I was so sure he could feel it, that was how powerful it was.

Finally, he gave a small step backwards.

I gave a nod in appreciation, even though he couldn't see it again. Fang's face was impassive.

Taking a deep breath, I walked over.

"…Nudge?" I whispered. Hesitantly, I put a hand on her shoulder.

She jerked ferociously. Seemingly trying to melt into the floor.

"Are you okay? It's me. Max. Another avian human, just like you!"

When she didn't respond, I leaned in closer, so that only she could see.

"Seriously, look". Clenching my hand into a fist, I tried to concentrate on that feeling I got when I healed Fang's wings. Stretching my palm out slowly, sure enough, a small white ball of light was dancing around in the air above my hand.

Her eyes seemed to cross over, she was staring at it so intently.

For the first time, breaking the border of the insanity in her eyes, pure clarity shone like a star – as if someone had shined a light on her dim eyes, making them sparkle, making them seem more alive, as if she was only _just _seeing for the first time.

She looked at me, as in, properly looked at me. She seemed to snap out of it. Like the blackness and fog had lifted from her mind.

The white light went out.

And then, of course, her eyes promptly rolled to the back of her head and she passed out in a dead faint.

"_NUDGE!"_

We were sat in a circle, feeling the time ticking by. No one said anything, no one spoke. I would see Iggy glance at Nudge's lifeless body from time to time, and I sat stationary, waiting for the white coats to come and get us.

Her face, no longer threatening, seemed broken and weak.

Skin, colour not of Hade's wrath, but like old and dried blood, concealing wounds underneath its thick layer. I wonder how long they had been there.

That curly hair, not of a lion's mane, but the wool of a retreating and injured lamb.

Dark eyes, hidden underneath her eyelids, not sadistic and evil, but filled with pain like the rest of us.

She was simply a little broken girl, and I didn't blame her.

After all she'd been through, the experiments, the fact she'd been made into a machine and boxed off for so long, all alone in a dark metal container… it would be enough to drive even the strongest willed person insane. I didn't feel bad about her passing out, actually. Yes, I think it was my fault – maybe I shouldn't have done the whole 'healing powers mumbo jumbo thingy' when I didn't even know what it was yet. However, I felt like it somehow connected with Nudge's magnetism power, and it would make her respond to me. I didn't know why I so desperately wanted her to be okay, she'd tried to kill me once and everything already.

But it was like something in my gut told me, this is how it was supposed to be. You're supposed to befriend Nudge. You were always going to meet Fang. Meet Iggy.

And the light had worked. I felt like it had healed her… though maybe not in the literal sense like it did for Fang, but in a different way.

Somehow though, something didn't feel right. I felt the stiffness of my bandages weigh down on my neck once again. Where had I felt like this before?

There was a stir in my peripheral vision.

"Ig". That was Fang. He could now say Iggy's name, though only a shortened version of it.

I guessed he saw Nudge move too.

As one, all three of us turned to face her; she seemed to be waking up after collapsing.

Moving, my maternal instincts took over again and I moved towards her. No one stopped me this time, I took it that Iggy and Fang had reflected over her as I had in the 2 or so hours she'd been unconscious for.

"…Nudge? Can you hear me? Nudge?" I put a hand on her shoulder hesitantly.

This gave me a feeling of deja vu, an uncomfortable one though. Let's hope that this time; it won't turn out like…

Hands shot up suddenly. Grabbed me round the middle.

"_NO!" _Fang and Iggy shot to their feet.

"MAX!"

I froze.

Then.

Oh.

"Wait… Fang… Iggy…" I looked at them over Nudge's shoulder.

They stopped in their tracks, Iggy's hand frozen in mid-air – being about to wrench Nudge off me.

She was… Nudge was…

Hugging me?

The feeling was warm and unexpected. I had been for so sure that she was going to… but no. It felt like I had a doll in my arms, fragile and small. I could feel her heart beating frantically in her chest, her arms holding me tight, like I was her life line – pulling her back into safety, she'd been lost for so long. I could feel her shoulders shake hard against mine as I pulled her closer softly.

We sat for the longest time as Nudge cried her poor broken heart out.

**A/N Sorry for the abrupt ending, just felt it was appropriate to leave it there **

**Review and tell me what you thought?**

**The Nudge we know is going to… how should I say… form in the next chapter, so… look out for it!**

**Sorry it took me so long to update, lol**

**Happy reading!**

**AnonymousAutherx**


	15. Nostalgic Settings

**Chapter 15: Nostalgic Settings**

What a complete and utter chatterbox. Honestly. I had had about enough after only 10 minutes of her jabbering. About everything and anything. The bad thing was, she seemed to have taken a liking to me – I don't know why, maybe it was something to do with the fact I was the only one who was the same gender as her? Or maybe because we could both do that blue light thingy… whatever. Though I was really glad she seemed to have recovered. After a while of crying, she seemed good as new. Like a _completely _different person. I don't know what happened then, and I don't know if I'll _ever _know, but I think it's safe to say that definitely wasn't her.

Though I can't think of any rational explanation as to what happened. Oh well, since when has my life ever been rational?

I wasn't dumb enough to say that she was fully healed though – who could be, after being locked away for most of your life and tortured? I seem to be thinking that sentence a lot lately. It just shows how strong she was – is. I wonder when she'll let go of that and fully open up to us…

Anyways, she just _wouldn't stop talking_. Every second was filled with noise and words, and she seemed to very much like asking -

"Hey, Max, what's this?"

I snapped out of my inner monologue. She was pointing at the fang around my neck. It seemed like she hardly knew anything – well, I obviously knew squat about the world, but compared to Nudge, she made my naïveté seem very, very insignificant. VERY insignificant.

She tugged on the cord with a finger, looking at me with big round eyes.

"It's an Eraser fang". I answered her.

"Eraser? Fang?"

"An Eraser is this huge hairy, wolf like monster. They're like guards that the white coats have made to make sure none of us get out of this place".

"Wolf-like monster?" 

I nodded. "Show her, Iggy".

Iggy then made a big show of puffing his cheeks out, muscling up his arms and staggering about with clumsiness, making sure to put in a few growls and clawing at the air.

Nudge giggled and I snickered. "You were supposed to make it look wolf like and scary, not like a drunk fat man stumbling about".

"Well I'm sorry, I've only ever seen them once and that was _ages _ago, before I…" Iggy's smile suddenly dropped from his face.

The room got a little uncomfortable. After all, we'd never properly spoken about how Iggy became blind and accumulated all those scars in any case.

Nudge, sensing the tension, continued to tug at my fang.

"Hey, there's something else there!" She pulled the cord round.

"OW!" Jumping backwards, she held her pricked finger in her lap.

Fang jumped to his feet, looking back and forth between us hurriedly.

"Don't worry". I told him. "She only pricked herself on my syringe". I brought it out of my shirt, examining the green liquid.

"You didn't accidently squirt some out when you hurt yourself, did you?"

She shook her head.

I breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good because I'm pretty sure it would've killed you".

Iggy frowned at me. "Then why the heck are you carrying something like that around your neck?"

I shrugged. "Never know when it might come in handy".

"Well you better hide that somewhere before the white coats come for us, they'll probably take it away".

"Don't worry, they won't. They don't usually check us that thoroughly; otherwise I would've had my fang taken away a long time ago".

"Speaking of which, I wonder when the white coats are coming for us?" Iggy pondered.

"You won't let them hurt me, will you Max?" Nudge questioned. "What are they going to do to us?"  
>I sighed. "I don't know that… and…" I caught a look at her trusting and open expression. She was so young and hopeful. I couldn't bring myself to say it.<p>

"Of course not, Nudge, of course I won't let them hurt you".

Seeming appeased, she clutched my hand and settled by my side.

I just caught Fang's disapproving expression over the top of her head, and fought to swallow down the sudden surge of guilt in my throat.

Right on cue, as if they'd been listening to our conversation and were waiting the perfect moment to come in, the door sprung open.

White coats and Erasers filled the room, one got a cage from the corner, pressed a button on the remote and voila, there were suddenly wheels at the bottom. A transformable cage? The School's standards were improving.

"Get them in". Commanded the same cold white coat from earlier.

As the white coats hauled us in, she came over and inspected me with narrowed eyes.

"I see you're still in one piece… well… mostly". Her eyes darted to the cast around my neck.

Was it just me, or did she seem disappointed?

We were wheeled out of the room and through the corridors, coming to a halt at a lift. I could see the flight of stairs opposite in which Fang and I had our memorable… skydive… down the middle of.

I must say, I prefer the method of going down this time, even though I'm claustrophobic and hate lifts.

Nudge looked all around.

"Max, what –"  
>"It's called a lift". I cut her off quickly.<p>

She nodded, and continued to stare with fascination.

As we came up and out of the School, I looked back around at it, the tall impossibly white building, with a stone cold face.

In the few seconds before we were bundled up and shoved into the back of something metal and hard, I stared up at the building I grew up in, it was my whole world.

Little did I know that it would be a long, long time – years to be exact – before I saw it again…

The doors slammed shut and there was utter silence for a moment.

"…Max, where are we?" I didn't even have to even twist my head to look; I knew who had asked that question.

But before I could answer, a familiar rumbling started up as the walls began to shake all around us. I remembered from all those years ago.

A huge roar split into the air, as the whole cold room came to life around us, and Iggy had to clasp his hand round Nudge's mouth to stop her from screaming.

"It's okay! It's okay! I've been on one of these before, it's perfectly safe!"

Nudge had shoved Iggy's hand away from her face and crawled over to wrap herself around me.

"What's happening? I don't like it Max… it feels like we're inside a monster or something".

"C-car". Spoke Fang quietly, seeming to have to think for a few minutes before getting the word right.

"Oh, is that what it's called?" I asked.

"The… the monster has a name?" Nudge whispered.

"It's not a monster Nudge". I spoke gently. "It's some sort of transportation device". I looked around for a window or something like last time, to show her we were moving, but our only source of light was a crack along the bottom of the doors, perhaps where they hadn't quite shut it properly. I certainly wasn't going to attempt that stunt again where I pulled the doors open. What was I thinking anyway?

"I remember going along one of these things to a cliff place". Iggy poked a few fingers through the bars of the cage to press them along the cool wall. "They tried to make me fly or something, but I refused to". He laughed sourly. "They didn't even push me to do it or anything actually; I bet they thought I wasn't capable because I was blind."

"So that was _you!_ I knew I'd seen that strawberry blonde hair of yours somewhere before…"

"What, you were there too? I didn't see you at all!"

"Well duh, where d'you think I learned how to fly? Certainly not in the school!"

"Max, you know how to fly? Seriously? You're amaaazing Max". Nudge hung her head upside down to look at me, her little face bright with adoration. "When do I get to learn? When?"

I laughed, ruffling her head of curly hair. "Well, maybe when we all escape, we can build one of those houses that humans live in. And maybe I'll just push you off the roof or something".

"Push her off the roof? Really?" Iggy raised his eyebrows sarcastically.

"Hey, you can't talk, I was pushed off a cliff! What do you think about it, Nudge?"

But Nudge wasn't listening; she was lost in a daydream.

"You really think we'll get out of here, Max? That we'll escape and go build a house somewhere, where we'll live happily ever after?"

"Sure, Nudge, sure". I made sure to keep my eyes stubbornly away from Fang this time. Though thinking about it, didn't Dr Martinez say she'd help us escape? I wonder where she'd gone to anyway…

"And then, we'll live on this pretty mountain, with pretty little bushes filled with berries all around it, and we could have a kitchen! And two rooms, one for you and me, Max, and another for Fang and Iggy… Ooooh, what would the house look like? I don't want a boring normal one, I want –" 

"E". Fang said abruptly. I'm not sure whether that was just to shut Nudge up, or if he was practising speaking, but…

"Yes, one shaped like an E! Ohmigosh, that would look so cool! Think about it, we could build it out of wood and…"

I tuned her out, then glared at Fang.

He shrugged at me, expressionlessly, as if to say the damage had already been done.

Well, not to sound completely unoptimistic, but chances were we'd never get out of here anyways, because there was absolutely no way I was going to live in an E-shaped house. Never.

The halt of the engine brought Nudge's ramblings to a stop thankfully. Though I wasn't very sure about what was going to await us on the other side of that door.

The sudden bright light blinded me, and I had to raise a hand to shield my eyes from it. Only Iggy, who of course, wasn't affected, quickly pulled me out of the way, just as an Eraser swiped his claws _through _the bars of the cage like it was made of butter, and across the air where I was just sitting.

"Sorry about that". Guffawed the Eraser, not sounding in the least bit sorry. Bending the bars of the cages so there was a suitable opening, he hauled us out one by one. "Mister CleverScientist over here forgot the keys".

At least the white coat seemed appropriately sheepish about it.

I got up from the dirt and looked out. We were… well we were back. On the very same cliff from before. I could see the arena in the distance, and I felt like I was going to throw up. This place was always going to be stained red for me. Lucy…

"Alright, come on, into your lines. We're waiting for instructions from the Director".

We were marched in a very straight line, Iggy somehow keeping in form in between Nudge and I, up towards the cliff face.

"Is it just me, or does this look very familiar?" Iggy mouthed to me out of the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah, I think it's the same place… you know… that we were just talking about". I whispered back, trying to contain the twisting sensation in my stomach. I thought I'd never have to come back here, never have to face it all again. I thought I was over it by now. Clearly, I was wrong.

"Max, this doesn't seem like an experiment… What's happening?"

"You there! Stop talking!" An Eraser lashed out at Nudge with something that looked like a whip of sorts.

She shrieked with pain as a long red welt appeared on her arm.

I saw Fang tense up at the corner of my eye, and I felt like going there and taking it out on the Eraser for doing that to Nudge. But, of course, that would only make it even worse. So I grit my teeth together, and kept those feelings to myself. I could see hints of the land start to give way to the endless sky and horizon, so I knew we were close. I saw a few caves off to the side on the right – had those always been there? I didn't notice them before.

We finally got to the edge of the cliff, where…

I was momentarily stunned. So many colours and shapes, it was a blur.

My brain was a mess, scrambling to pick up what was happening, what went where. The cliff had changed a lot since I'd last seen it, gone was the grass, and instead, it seemed like it had been painted many different colours, and if possible, textures.

It took a while for me to notice, but then I realised that the cliff… _the cliff was moving_.

It seemed to shift and sway, never staying in one place. Parts that I thought were green suddenly turned white. Was this… was this possible?

I felt Fang scrape the ground behind me, like he'd suddenly stumbled on a rock or something (an image I found very hard to picture).

"S-so… so ma-many". He breathed, and it was hard to place what emotion was in his voice.

I cocked my head, confused, before I saw it.

What I had mistaken for the cliff was actually… Mutants. All of it. Every single square inch was completely covered in them.

Whereas last time there had been a hundred or so, this time it was thousands. Literally thousands upon thousands.

Iggy had turned really white.

"Can somebody, please tell me what's going on? There's so much noise, so many vibrations and smells… I can't work out where I am". This was the first time I'd ever seen Iggy look so disorientated before. It was kind of disconcerting.

I grabbed his wrist. "Hold my hand then, and don't let go".

Seeing this many mutants made me feel really insignificant. I mean, the school already did that well enough, but with this; it made the whole operation – the experiments, the School… so much bigger than what I thought it was. On a scale this big... my tiny flame of hope flickered and blinked out momentarily. How was Dr Martinez going to pull this off? I was counting on her…

We were forced to march through columns of mutants, rows of mutants, lines of mutants, mutants, mutants, mutants.

They were all grouped into categories of races and species. I saw half lions, some fearsome experiments that looked human, but with bodies that were too big and muscular, scary creatures who had the torso and head of a human, but the legs were replaced with a long winding reptilian tail. When I looked closer, I saw slitted eyes and a forked tongue dart quickly in and out of half open mouths.

Then, there were the less fortunate mutants, some that looked like they'd taken the worse off end of a nuclear radiation blast, with their deformed limbs, and some poor pitiful half fish, half humans. It didn't look like they would last long, being out of the water. I saw one or two of the smaller ones flop desperately on the ground, pressing their gills on the dirt for any source of water.

Iggy's hand tightened around mine until it became almost painful. It must be so hard for him to be thrown into the deep end with absolutely no clue what was going on. Without his other more attuned senses, I knew he felt useless, especially against the other waves of mutants.

I turned my head and fixed my eyes on the path we were walking, unable to stare anymore.

Why had we been gathered here?

I ran into Iggy's back. Peeping round, I saw that Nudge had halted him, and in front of Nudge, I could see the white coat had stopped.

"Here are your positions, I expect that you know not to move from here, otherwise there will be harsh punishments". He looked pointedly at Nudge's arm, which had started to swell.

I nodded for all of us, before quickly taking a seat on the hard ground, pulling Iggy down with me. He still looked very confused, and had put his free hand to his ear, as if to try to drown out the sounds coming in.

Fang and Nudge, however, stayed standing. I realised why.

We weren't alone in the line.

**A/N Thanks for the reviews, everyone! Sorry I haven't been able to update in a while – Fanfiction on my computer has really been playing up lately, and I haven't been able to upload :/ That also means I haven't been able to reply to everyone's reviews cause my PM has been crashing. So as soon as it works, I'll make sure to reply ;)**

**The real action will start next chapter – and by that, I mean proper fights and battles XP**

**Review please? **

**AnonymousAutherx**


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